Marque and Reprisal
by Michael2
Summary: A privateer? what is a privateer? Well, privateers are people who, with the authority of a government, hunts down enemy ships for profit. Follow the story of a privateer on board the Golden Eagle, granted a letter of marque and reprisal by the United Nations to hunt the ships of the Invid Regency, an alien power that had conquered Earth.
1. Liftoff

I never imagined that I would be a privateer.

A privateer dedicated to hunting the Invid.

Where do I start? I got a full scholarship to attend the Tirol Aerospace Academy, mostly due to being a smart, talented girl. I was an aerospace engineering major and completed the United Nations Merchant Aerospace Licensing Program, which meant that I was licensed as a Third Assistant Engineer.

Of course, before graduation there were recruiters from the aerospace industry, as well as the United Earth Forces, trying to hire fresh talent. One of these companies was Trans-Galactic Shipping, which interviewed me for a position as a third assistant engineer on a merchant vessel.

And I was offered a position that would pay even more than what a first mate would make on most merchant spaceships.

I could be on a privateer ship.

From what the recruiter, this guy in a suit with slicked black hair told me, privateers are private ships authorized to attack enemy ships. Trans-Galactic has a Letter of Marque and Reprisal, issued by the United Nations Plenipotentiary Council, giving the company permission to attack the vessels, aircraft, and mecha of the Invid Regency. The ships were as heavily armed as Spacy cruisers, and mostly staffed with veteran,. I specifically would be in charge of making sure the ship's mechanical systems functioned.

My second interview was with the admiral. Well, he was a retired rear admiral from the Spacy, who commanded the Military Spacelift Command and actually flew in the same squadron my dad did during the First Robotech War, though not in the same flight. The corporate office was back on Planet Glorie, in the Commonwealth, which I found to be somewhat ironic. He was impressed with me.

The day I graduated from the Academy, after the commencement ceremony with me in a cap and gown, my parents and sister and niece witnessing, the Academy band playing- I got a call and that Trans-Galactic offered me a job as a third assistant engineer on a privateer vessel.

I accepted.

The vessel was based in Aresburg, a city on the planet Mars, which was in the same system as the planet Earth. So I was leaving home again, and I had a going away party at Seafood on the Bay on the Island. I had worked there as a hostess the summer before going to the Academy, and the Trio who owned the restaurant all personally congratulated me. Many regulars were there, including the Piano Man playing the piano.

After that, I took a flight to Mars. I did catch a glimpse of Aresburg from the air. The city was underneath a complex of pressure domes, as the Martian natural atmosphere was a bit unbreathable. A company car chauffeured me from the spaceport, which looked pretty much like commercial passenger spaceports with lobbies and stores and ticket booths and stuff.

My chaperone- this nice young lady with blond hair and clad in a gray suit, took me to the apartment building which the company was renting for me, and gave me a cashier's check for the advance I was promised when I was hired.

"Don't spend it all at once," she said in this cheerful voice. "I mean, I know the city has a lot of clubs and casinos."

My apartment wasn't much, just a studio that had a kitchenette in an alcove. Still, it was bigger than the dorm room I had as a first class midshipman at the Academy. I had to rest for my meeting with the skipper and the officers and the crew the next day.

So that was what I did.

Oooooooo

My chaperone picked me up from my apartment and took me to the Trans-Galactic corporate hangar in the Aresburg Spaceport.

"We're only doing this because you're new to Aresburg," she said. "You'll either have to take mass transit or get a Martian driver's license and buy a car."

"Got it," I said.

The hangar was a huge, plain, drab building. I walked through some hallways and into an office. Behind the desk was a scruffy-long, lavender-haired man wearing a khaki uniform, similar to that of the Spacy.

"I am Zam Tazzel, Skipper of the Trans-Galactic Privateer Vessel _Golden Eagle_."

I introduced myself.

"Corporate forwarded me your file," said the skipper. "You have quite an impressive academic record."

"Thank you, sir," I replied.

"Which means nothing outside in real space. There are no professors to judge fairly, who have all the answers, who can guide you if you have trouble with the subject. Out in space, not knowing could get your and your crew killed."

"Uh, with all due respect, sir, I did two training cruises at the Tirol Aerospace Academy. It was required for graduation."

"Ah, training cruises? Where experienced officers babysat you, where you were in no real danger? This is a privateer ship. We raid the Invid for their ships and their protoculture. We are practically a warship."

I can tell this guy was tough.

"If you really don't want me on your crew, why didn't you tell the admiral?"

"I might want you, I might not," replied Tazzel. "I am going to tell you how it is like really out there. If you don't like it, you can walk away. You understand, right?"

"I'm learning."

"Then you need to learn about the _Golden Eagle_. The chief engineer will take you through a tour."

And so I did, as the chief engineer, a grizzled man in his thirties, showed me around.

The _Golden Eagle_ was a huge ship, maybe about six hundred or so feet long. True to its name, it was painted with a golden hue.

And so basically he did. He showed me the bridge, with its consoles and panels and instruments and levers and buttons and stuff like that. He showed me the dining room, which was pretty nice, nicer than the mess on the ship where I took my training cruises. He showed me my quarters with a bed and a desk – twice as big as the quarters I had on that training cruise before first class.

And then he showed me the engine room where I would be working. I saw the main reflex furnace, auxiliary power units, hyperspace fold drive, thrusters, as well as all of the control and instrument panels. I heard the echoes of my footsteps on the metallic surfaces. And I can smell the faint, sharp odor of the lubricants used to keep these machines running smoothly.

After my tour, I went back to the skipper's office.

"You know your way around the ship?" asked Tazzel.

"I'm definitely learning," I replied.

"Learn fast. Remember that you are paid more than a lieutenant commander in the Spacy, which I am, part-time."

"If it isn't our hatchling," said a voice.

I turned and saw this young man with black hair and amber-complected skin.

He was Han Sang.

"How are you doing, Hatchling?" he asked.

"Getting used to my new job," I said.

"Just remember; I'm _second_ assistant engineer, so I outrank you."

Han Sang was my midshipman instructor back when I was a hatchling, the nickname for 4th class midshipmen at the Academy. Hatchlings were the lowest of the low there, having to do all the dirty work, with 1st and 2nd class midshipmen constantly telling is what to do. I of course had my turn at training junior midshipmen in the latter years of my scholastic career.

"Understood."

"Well, I've heard you've gotten your tour. So now we need you to check the ship's systems."

"Which system would that be?"

Ooooooo

Being the third assistant engineer, I happened to be primarily dealing with the electrical, lubrication, and sanitation systems on board the _Golden Eagle_. I mean, I guess maybe a single paragraph's worth of what Doc Nichols taught me about hyperspatial mechanics might be useful in these tasks, but not that much useful. Under the supervision of Han Sang and the other senior engineers, I checked the power switches, the generators, transformers, fuses, evaporators, condensers, pumps, valves, and other things.

After that, I had this somewhat boring lecture regarding privateering laws. Anything we captured from the Invid had to be brought to a United Nations Aerospace Court for condemnation. Only when what we seized was condemned would the company- and us- be paid.

There was not much time to get used to my new neighborhood before we had to deploy into space. It made sense, as the _Golden Eagle_ sure did not make any money sitting in port.

That meant that I had to go over all the ship's systems. There was no roadside assistance in deep space, especially when hunting Invid.

Because I would be spending the next two days doing ship maintenance, we decided to go celebrate in downtown Aresburg.

Downtown Aresburg was typical of the downtown area of a mid-sized town, only with the bulkhead of a pressure dome overhead instead of a sky, even the red Martian one. There were neon lights advertising businesses that were open after hours. Automobiles moved along the streets. My fellow officers and I went to a bar and grill. It had the typical look of a bar and grill, with wood-varnished surfaces. There was the typical bar offering, beer, wine, sandwiches, bar-style appetizers like mozzarella cheesesticks and potato skins. A live band played in a corner with various instruments.

That night, I noticed some people in U.N. Spacy Class "A" service uniforms walk into the bar. This was not surprising, as Mars Base was nearby and I figured that UEF personnel from there would spend much of their time off downtown.

I recognized one of them, a woman with black hair tied in a ponytail, slanted eyes, and amber-complected skin.

"Mimi! I exclaimed.

Tatsunoko Mimiko exclaimed my name in return, and we hugged. "How are you doing?"

"Just celebrating before I deploy," I answered. "I'm in the private sector. Third assistant engineer for a cargo ship. And you? What have you done since you graduated? I know you're an officer in the Spacy.."

Mimi had been a year ahead of me in the Academy. I remembered that she once lived on Earth until she was evacuated eleven years ago, when the Regency invaded. She completed the Spacy ROTC program and was commissioned as a third lieutenant.

"I'm a third lieutenant, as you can tell by the uniform," she said. "I'm a veritech space aviator, flying the VFA-6 Alpha veritech fighter, assigned to Mars Base." I could hear the pride in her voice.

"Here?" she asks. "In Aresburg? That is so great. We're gonna have so much fun together."

"At least when we have leave at the same time. How are things going with that guy, Kylinn I think his name was?"

"Kaifun," I said. "Things aren't…going anymore. But we were just children, I guess. We have to grow up."

Mimi looked at Han Sang. "Nice to see you, Han."

"Great to see you, Tatsunoko," replied Han, in a calm voice.

"He's an officer in the same ship as I am," I said to Mimi. "Second assistant engineer."

"At least you've made quite a career in the engineering section of the ship. "Me, I get to fly in an Alpha, out in open space"

"Inside a tiny crawlspace with no legroom."

I had never observed this interaction between them when I was at the Academy.

"How do you know Mimi?" asks a red-haired lady in a Spacy uniform.

"I went to the Tirol Aerospace Academy with her," I said. "She went to the military; I chose the private sector."

"Anyway, my name is Aisha, I'm a veritech pilot like Mimi."

As if on cue, Mimi spoke out. "I didn't know our commander was here," she said.

"Who?" I asked.

"Lieutenant Commander Scott Bernard," answered Mimi. "He just took command of my squadron last week."

I saw a dark-haired man in class "A's" sit at one of the booths. The band was singing "Stage Fright", a song from over thirty years ago; my dad was actually at the premiere of that song. A lady clad in an outfit like Mimi's sat in a booth with him.

"Oh, let the commander have his date," said Aisha, who had been glancing at their direction.

And so we did. I focused on dinking cold glasses of beer and munching on appetizers while reconnecting with Mimi and getting to know my fellow officers better. We all had fun.

But deep down, we knew the Invid Regency was out there, ready to strike at any time.

ooooooooo

After two days of double shifts going over the ship's systems, my first deployment started. I took my station, reading the instruments. All systems looked normal.

The chief engineer announced everything was okay. I could feel the ship rise, noticing the change in the readouts and instruments. I could imagine the _Eagle_ rising from the Aresburg spaceport, and up through the red Martian atmosphere into orbit. I could imagine the bridge crew speaking with Martian Orbital Traffic Control.

"Prepare for hyperspace fold," said the skipper's voice over the speaker. I checked the instrument panel; all of the readouts were normal and there were no warning lights.

I saw double vision, with the bulkheads and panels and pipes seemingly dividing in two, a side effect of folding into hyperspace. The effect stopped. The instruments confirmed that we were in hyperspace, hunting the Invid.


	2. Touchdown

Most of the time on board the _Golden_ _Eagle_ was routine. I would check the gauges and instruments of the ship's systems. Meals were taken in the dining room, which looked like a typical dining room with dining tables, as stewards brought food from the galley. During breaks I would either play video games in the officers' lounge with my fellow officers, or read books in my stateroom, which was basically a bedroom with an attached bathroom, or head as they are called in aerospace terminology. This routine stuff was not much to write about. The skipper told me a few days ago that there were dry runs, where they could not find any Invid ships to raid.

And then I heard the code word. We had a lead.

I took my station down in the engine room to do a last-second check on all instruments.

"Everything's okay," says Ta'Nari, in her high-pitched squeaky voice, an able crewman assigned to the engineering deck.

"Same here," I said.

Ta'Nari, like me, was a native of the Planet Glorie. But unlike me, she was a scalie- the indigenous people of Glorie. Like almost all scalies, she had four arms, ending in hands with two thumbs and two long fingers. She had two large eyes on the sides of her head, and two smaller eyes on the front. She was about four foot nine inches in height- scalies were about five feet tall on average. I remembered that they had a different physiology from us- arsenic was an essential nutrient to then, but citrus and cannabis were lethal neurotoxins.

I grew up around them all my life, so they did not seem as alien to me as they did to my mom and dad when they first settled in the Commonwealth- nor the later wave of refugees when Earth was evacuated eleven years ago.

"This is the bridge," I heard the first officer say. "Hyperspace calculations are complete."

I looked at the gauges, instruments, and screens. There were no warning signs. "We're clear."

The chief engineer picked up a phone. "All systems are go."

And then the whole hyperspace fold effect happened, with images doubling, looking out of focus. My heart was racing. A lot could happen when hunting the Invid, at least from what I had heard from the skipper and other officers.

Then klaxons rang and red lights flashed.

"All hands to battle stations!" the skipper announced from the bridge.

I could imagine the bridge crewmen looking at the monitors at their console, the skipper barking orders, the gunnery crews warming up the ship's guns. Many of them were military veterans; the skipper himself was a lieutenant commander in the Spacy Reserve.

I just had to make sure that the engines were working. The engines were running faster than normal, due to the combat alert.

And then I saw the double-vision effect. We were folding through hyperspace. I had an idea of our tactics; find an Invid vessel, preferably a protoculture tanker, cripple it with targeted strikes, and then capture it in our fold bubble to bring it back to Mars.

I looked at the instruments and something was weird. The fold drive wasn't being powered, and I wasn't informed to expect the other ships to include us in their fold bubble. "Chief, we have a problem. We seem to be going to hyperspace but the fold drive isn't being powered."

"Copy," replied the chief.

We were suddenly rocked; I almost fell down.

"We are under attack!" yelled a voice from the speaker.

I supposed that it had to be recorded for posterity.

I had to go back to my station. The fold drive was still operational. This was important, as if the flotilla was overwhelmed, we were to fold back to our fallback point.

I was jarred by more explosions. Our foes must be hitting us hard.

I had to stay focus. We needed to be able to fold back to safety in case the enemy was too powerful.

I then saw that the barrier covering the engineering section went down. I heard crashing of debris.

I looked and saw smoke. I could also smell the corrosiveness of it.

I knew the smoke was toxic; I had to get out.

Ta'Nari and I were starting towards the exit. I glanced back and saw Second Assistant Engineer Han Sang. I heard him coughing from the smoke.

And then I saw a huge wall of flame, and heard this inhuman scream. A humanoid figure, seemingly made of orange flame, emerged and then fell down.

"Sang!" I yelled. I took Ta'Nari's hand and ran away.

I found myself in one of the corridors. Aside from the siren and the flashing red lights, there was no signs of any battle damage here. The occasional shaking told us that the battle was still going on. I looked back and could see smoke emerging from the door that we had just left.

For a few seconds, I wondered how long the battle would last. The engineering section was out, and I did not even know if the fold drives would still work.

"All hands abandon ship!" I heard. "I repeat, all hands aban-"

That was unmistakable. Recalling my tour of the _Eagle_ , I ran to where I remembered the escape pods were. I soon found the access hatch. Using all of my might, I opened the hatch and Ta'Nari and I went inside the pod.

The pod was not much to talk about, just some seats with fasteners. Ta'nari and I quickly sat down and strapped ourselves in. We were waiting for other crewmen to get inside. I looked out of the pod, and the corridor we were in was already filled with smoke. I heard more explosions.

I knew that the _Eagle_ was a lost cause.

I closed the hatch and then pressed the button. I heard another explosion.

And then I felt weightless.

"Hold on," I said to Ta'Nari.

From what I recalled, the escape pod would emit a beacon. If the _Eagle_ got a distress call out, maybe the Spacy could send some cruisers of destroyers to rescue us. There was not much to do. Opening the hatch, out to the vacuum of space, was clearly not option.

I heard this roaring sound, like the rapids. It was almost soothing.

"We're not in space," said Ta'Nari. "We're going through atmosphere."

She was right! How could I miss that? Sound does not travel through a vacuum. Escape pods had heat shields in case they were ejected above an atmosphere. I could only hope that the heat shields held before the pod slowed down enough to deploy the parachutes.

I felt a jerking motion. The parachutes were deployed; we were slowing down.

But where were we?

For all I knew, we could be in a planet with a fluorine atmosphere, which would corrode this escape pod- and us.

After what seemed to be a lifetime, I heard this thud and was jolted.

"Are you all right?" I asked Ta'Nari.

"Yes," she replied.

I unfastened my seat restraints. I looked outside and the door was ajar. I quickly shut it.

Theoretically, we should have enough oxygen to last for eight hours. But I could be wrong.

After all, the hatch was not supposed to bust open upon the pod hitting the ground.

Ta'Nari looked at the gauges.

"Temp eighty outside," she said. "Pressure 780."

I knew what that meant, eighty degrees Fahrenheit, 780 millimeters of mercury. We could go out without needing spacesuits.

I searched the pod, finding the survival kit, which contained at least two air tanks.

"We'd better take these," I said. "In case there's no oxygen outside."

And so we did. We emerged outside, both of us wearing gas masks. The air definitely felt warm. The sky above was blue, with wisps of white clouds. I could see what looks like birds flying overhead. On the ground I saw these furry animals with long necks, some of them eating the leaves of these umbrella-shaped trees. There were mountains in the distance.

"What now?' asks Ta'Nari, taking a long look at a world she had never been to before.

"We wait by the escape pod," I answered. "The Spacy should be here soon to send a rescue ship."

I could see the exterior of the escape pod; it had a conic shape, about twenty feet across and maybe ten feet high. There was this rubber flotation device, colored orange, around the base; I supposed it was for in case the pod landed in a body of water.

We only had to wait.

Ta'Nari tapped my shoulder and I looked up. The birds seemed to be scattering.

I could see two objects flying up in the sky.

"Run!" I yelled, and we ran as fast as I can. I glimpsed a thick grove of trees; I just kept running and running even as I heard explosions.

I was under the canopy of the grove of trees. I walked to the edge, hiding behind a bush.

I saw the wreckage of the escape pod, now just a mass of twisted metal alloy.

And I saw the machines that came after us. They were huge, with four limbs ending in claws and two cannons on what looked like shoulders. A single eye was on the head.

Those were the war machines of the Invid Regency!

My heart was racing. Were they going to spot me? The two mecha walked around for a while. They then took off from the ground and flew away.

I wanted for maybe half an hour. I then went towards the ruins of the escape pod.

I doubted that it was transmitting its homing beacon.

I then saw Ta'Nari lying on the ground. I went up to her and took a close look.

Her four eyes were lifeless. I put my ear close to her snout, but she was not breathing,

"No," I whispered.

I lifted up her corpse. I needed some way to bury her.

But where was I?

I walked for about an hour, always looking behind my shoulder, wondering if the Invid mecha would come back to finish the job.

I then heard this thundering sound. I glanced up; there were neither thunderclouds nor any sign of mecha or aircraft.

I then saw them.

There were at least there horses, with men riding on them. One of them stopped before me.

He had pitch black skin- a skin tone some of the humans in the Commonwealth had. He was clad in a vest, hat, and trousers.

And he carried a rifle.

He said something in a language I did not understand, and held his hand towards me, palm out.

I knew what that meant.

If I took a step forward, they would open fire on me.


	3. Enter Itzak

The three horsemen were not making any moves towards me.

But neither were they letting me step any further.

I introduced myself. "I'm a third assistant engineer of the Trans-Galactic Shipping vessel _Golden Eagle,"_ I said. "I am requesting assistance to contact the corporate offices on Mars."

"Mars," one of them men said.

I noticed another man speaking into what appeared to be a handheld radio. They held their palm out, reminding me to not step any closer.

I knelt down, placing Ta'Nari's body on the ground. The horsemen did not seem to be very familiar with scalies.

In the distance, I saw another horse approaching, with a man riding on top. He soon reached the other horses.

The man appeared to be in his early thirties. His skin was black like the other horsemen, and he had a scar going from his left eye to the corner of his mouth.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"You speak English," I replied.

"That's why I rode here. Who are you?"

I introduced myself again.

"And what is that thing?"

I looked at Ta'Nari. "She's not a thing. She was an able crewman of the _Golden Eagle_ , assigned to engineering."

"How did you get here?"

"The Golden Eagle went on a trip and we left Mars. We were attacked. The ship was heavily damaged, and our skipper ordered us to abandon ship. I got onto an escape pod and landed here. We were then attacked by these flying machines."

"I see," said the English-speaking man. "And why do you wish to proceed further?"

"Well, first of all, I need to find a way to contact Trans-Galactic's Martian offices. Maybe they can ask the U.N. Spacy for assistance on a search and rescue operation. Second, I…I want to bury Ta'Nari.

The man spoke into a radio in the same language the other horsemen spoke. My heart raced. I knew he was speaking to whoever his leader was, and his leader may very well order something even worse than denying me entry to wherever they are.

"It is late," said the man. "You may take shelter at the village. We will also let you bury your friend- outside, of course."

"Thank you," I said.

"Do not thank me; it is not my decision."

"I guess I'm lucky your people had someone who speaks English."

"I am Ebrahim Mlama," he said. "I was a sergeant, United Nations Army, Southern Cross, 213th Infantry Battalion. Now come, follow us.

And I did.

Oooooooooooo

I dug a hole in the soil, at least six feet deep. Once I dug the hole, I climbed out and lowered Ta'Nari's body into the hole. I then used the blade of the shovel that the villagers gave me to push the dirt back.

Finally, I tied two tree branches in the shape of a cross and planted it on Ta'Nari's freshly dug grave.

"Sorry about friend," said a boy.

"Uh, thank you," I said. He looked to be about twelve, with skin the color of the soil I used to bury Ta'Nari.

"Itzak," said Mlama.

The boy then spoke to Mlama in this language.

"Come," Mlama said to me. "Let me invite you in."

I was tired after burying Ta'Nari, along with that long walk to the village. Along the way, the wilderness was replaced with farms, with their farmhouses and barns and tilled filled, and barbed-wire fences marking the boundaries of the farms. Aside from the architectural style, it looked pretty much like the countryside of the Commonwealth.

The village was small, maybe about a mile square or so. It was surrounded by this brick wall with barbed wire on top, with armed guards manning towers built into the wall. The planet's sun was setting, an orange ball at the horizon. The markets were closing up. At the street corners were covered wells. The buildings looked like they were made from recycled materials. Most people walked or rode bicycles or horses; I did see a few motor vehicles parked on the unpaved streets.

Ebrahim Mlama led me to one of the houses. It was a one-story building with a sloped roof. A flowerbed was located right outside a window. I took a look and noticed that the flowers were pink, and came in triplets.

He and Itzak took me in.

It looked like a typical house, with a living room and a dining room with a table and chairs. A huge pot sat inside a fireplace, and I could smell some sort of food. The kitchen had a washing basin, with pans hanging from racks.

Dinner was not much, it was some sort of bean stew served in ceramic bowls, which my host called lentils. I was hungry and I did eat the lentils.

"Thank you for your hospitality," I said.

"You are welcome. I can at least show you where in this galaxy you are."

He went to the back of the house, where I supposed bedrooms and storerooms were located. He brought out a globe.

"This planet is Earth."

Earth? I could hardly believe it. I remember the stories Mom and Dad told me about Earth and the Robotech Wars.

"As in Invid-occupied Earth?" I asked.

"Yes."

It took me a while to process it. I knew about Earth, both from what my parents told me and from my schooling, but I never imagined that I would end up here.

"Let me show you where on Earth we are," said Mlama. He spun the globe and pointed to this continent that sort of looked like an inflated, upside down letter "L". "We are in the continent of Africa, in its rift valley in the east. To the northwest is Lake Victoria, to the north is Nairobi, and to the southeast is Dar es Salaam. Kiliminjaro is to the northeast" He pointed these locations, not that those names had any meaning to me.

"Okay. I would at least like to contact Mars. Would I be right to assume you do not have any communication off-world?"

"No. The Invid cut off the people of Earth from the rest of the Universe. Our radios do not even pick up transmissions from the moon." Mlama places a hand on his chin. "You might have better luck going to Nairobi or Dar es Salaam. There are Invid hives there. Maybe they will be generous and let you ask for help in leaving Earth."

"Are you serious?" I asked. "There's no way the Invid would do that."

"They are not our enemies. The Invid do not attack if we do not attack them nor trespass on their territories. Some nations like Ethiopia even trade food to the Invid in exchange for fuel. If only your escape pods had landed there instead of here."

"Do they have spaceships?"

"The Invid control the orbital space above. No one can leave Earth without their consent."

There was no way the Invid would allow a privateer like me to just go free.

"I see."

"We have little dealing with the Invid," said Mlama. "We could give you a more detailed map. You can make your way to Nairobi or Dar es Salaam or some other place where humans are on good terms with the Invid. Beyond that, our assistance to you ends there."

"It will be enough. I will let my bosses know of the assistance you gave me."

"But be warned. This part of the world is in dispute. We have had battles over territory."

"Battles?" asked Itzak.

"So many orphaned," said Mlama. "Itzak doesn't have my blood, but he has my love." He turned towards his son and said something. Itzak returned with a blanket.

"Good night," said Itzak.

And so I lay the floor of the living room, with a blanket above me. It was a few minutes before I could drift off to sleep.

Oooooooo

I stirred awake to a rumbling sound.

"Are you all right?" asked Ebrahim Mlama.

"Yeah," I said, rubbing my eyes.

"We're under attack."

I was wondering. Were the Invid attacking this village? Were they after me?

If they were after me, I had to surrender. I could not let the people here suffer after the hospitality they gave me.

I went out the door. Underneath the night sky, I could see flames on the horizon. I heard this whirring sound.

I saw the silhouette of an attack helicopter, illuminated by the fires below.

I saw a man emerging from the Mlama residence, clad in this doublet with a helmet covering his face. He carried a rifle.

"It's me," said Mlama. "I need to join up with the others. Stay with Itzak. It is not your fight."

Mlama gave Itzak a brief hug and then ran off.

"Come here," said the boy, leading me back into the house.

He pressed a button on a bookcase, and it slid open, revealing a flight of stairs. We went down some stairs and hid inside this cellar. I looked around, using a flashlight I retrieved from the escape pod's survival kit, and found there were racks of weapons. There were boxes and containers, as well as an old Suzuki motorcycle. The air felt a little damp. The sounds of the battle even reached this cellar.

"He sure was prepared," I said.

"Dad said he learn lesson after Invid invade," replies Itzak. "he had old Southern Cross stuff."

"is it the Invid attacking?" I asked. The Invid Regency were not known to use attack helicopters, but…

"It is not Invid," said the boy.

He handed me a pistol, and armed himself with a pistol. I was not about to go out there and fight whoever this enemy was. But if they came knocking here, at least we had a chance of taking one or two of them out.

I heard the fighting die down. Did the villagers repel the attack?

Was Ebrahim Mlama still alive?

We heard footsteps above us. After a minute, we both knew that Ebrahim Mlama was not above, as he would have come down to the cellar. I heard voices above.

And then they stopped.

"They not know we here," said Itzak.

I looked at Itzak. He looked to be about twelve, which meant he would have been a baby during the Invid Invasion.

"Your dad left us food and water here," I said. "We should hole up here at least until the next evening. Who are they?"

"They work for warlord who want our land," said itzak. They're bad."

Was this true? I heard rumors about how things were on Earth. Many regions were in a state of chaos even before the Invid Invasion and Evacuation of Earth, and I guessed this would be true in parts of the planet not under tight control by the Regency.

All I could do was sleep on it.

During the day, we ate some dry lentils. Mlama still had not returned, and we both somehow knew he would never return.

"Your dad said you weren't of his blood," I said. "How did you come to live with him?"

"He said he found me in burnt village six years ago. I was all alone; no one to help. There was always war here, war for control over land. He took me here. This was safe."

"Not anymore."

"Fighting never this bad. Fighting never reach home."

I decided to change the subject.

"What was life like here?" I asked.

"I go to school like other kids. I do work on farm. I play."

"I grew up on a farm, too," I said. "It was in the Glorie Commonwealth on the Planet Glorie, a planet far from here. I was good at fixing things like tractors and bikes. That's why I became an aerospace engineer."

"What's that?"

"You know, we fix spaceships and stuff like that. In fact, that's how I ended up here."

So I told him about the _Golden Eagle_ , and about how I crash landed.

"Why you people take Invid prawkulch?" he asked. "Isn't that bad?"

"The United Nations gave my employer a letter of marque and reprisal," I said. "That made it legal for them to hunt the Invid."

"So you attack Invid like village was attacked."

"Well, I…that's , uh…different. I mean… Listen, it's best if we take a nap. If we have to leave, it would be late at night, and we would want to be rested."

And so we did.

ooooooo

I woke up upon being prodded by Itzak. It was time for us to leave the village, find another village or town that was safe from whoever the enemy was. I made sure to pack the essentials.- non-perishable food, iodine tablets to treat drinking water, fuel, a firestarter, sleeping bags, a first aid kit.

The essentials that I could not find was makeup and nail polish. I mean, what kind of girl could survive without those essentials?

I inspected the Suzuki's engines and made sure the motorcycle was fully fueled.

I then went up a set of stairs- not the ones leading to the main house, but another set of stairs, and opened the door.

It was dark outside; the only light came from the night sky. I could still smell smoke.

With itzak's help, we lifted the Suzuki from the cellar up the stairs leading outside. We both stood outside; it was very quiet.

Itzak looked sad. His father would have come for him by now.

I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go," I said, putting on a motorcycle helmet.

He sat behind me on the Suzuki, and we took off into the night. We had to get far away, to a safe place.

Then I heard the whining of a engine.

And then this bright beam of light.

I looked in the rear view mirror and could see the silhouette of a motorcycle behind me, trying to shoot at us.


	4. Motorcycle Chase

I had the Suzuki motorcycle on full throttle. I was swerving to make Itzak and myself a harder target to hit. I could still hear the gunshots. The track we were riding on were rough; I could feel the vibrations of the seat. Our pursuers were getting closer and closer. I swore I could feel the bullets whiz right by my head.

I had to keep going. I could not even pay attention to the bike's fuel gauge. I would rather escape than fight, especially as Itzak was with me.

I could rear our pursuers approach closer and closer. I glanced to my right and saw a motorcycle right next to me; its rider pointing a weapon.

I squeezed the brake handles and heard a shot less than a second later. The other bike went ahead of me.

And then it somehow shifted, like it changed shape, surrounding the rider.

It looked like it turned into a suit of armor. I came to a stop.

It did not seem that there was a way to outshoot this guy.

There was neither cover nor concealment around.

I could feel my heart racing.

I heard some shots, sounding like really loud firecrackers.

I turned my head and saw someone else wearing similar armor.

My pursuer then turned on the other person.

I immediately got on the bike, making sure Itzak was holding on. I could feel the wind blowing against me.

I turned the throttle and headed out. I glanced in the rear view mirror, and someone was chasing me.

I had to find cover.

I saw a grove of trees to my left, so I slowed down and steered. Itzak and I got off the bike. I scanned my surroundings for anything that can be used for concealment.

"There," whispered Itzak.

I saw he was pointing at a bush, so we went and hid behind there. I had to keep my eyes and ears open.

"Be quiet," I said to Itzak. I looked around. I could see the outline of trees, hear the various noises made by the native fauna.

I heard footsteps. Was it a wild animal?

I saw a human-shaped silhouette.

But was he friend or foe?

I held the barrel and grip of the submachinegun. I looked at the figure.

"Identify yourself," I said. "I mean no harm."

Maybe we could get talking, like I did with those militiamen from Itzak's village.

Instead, he raased the barrel of his weapon.

I ran even as he opened fire. I could hear the impact of weapons.

I used the trees as cover. I glanced and saw Itzak, out in the open.

My heart raced.

"Take cover!" I yelled.

He threw something at the armored man; I heard something crack. He stumbled back. Itzak kept throwing two more things at him.

I ran in, and fired the submachinegun at his face. The armored man finally stumbled down.

I walked up to him and glanced down. His face was a red ruin.

I took a look at our attacker. Wearing that armor, he appeared to be perhaps a little over two meters in height. The armor appeared to be made of some sort of metal.

The most obvious feature I saw were two rubber tires mounted on the shoulders

This was a Cyclone veritech motorcycle. "We have ourselves a Cyclone," I said. "This will definitely help us."

I had known what these were. A veritech machine that can transform between a motorcycle and power armor. The United Earth Forces first put them into use maybe twelve years ago.

I did wonder where this guy got a Cyclone. They had been developed just before the Invid Invasion.

Then I remember about something I heard in the news when I first started in the Aerospace Academy, four years ago. There had been a failed attempt to take Earth from the Invid. The Robotech Expeditionary Force's 10th Space Fleet Division was lost.

Could this have belonged to one of the Space Marines that had landed on the planet? Could some of them be stranded on Earth, like I was?

The man who tried to kill me and Itzak may have taken this from a dead Space Marine.

Or he could have been a Space Marine who went native after the failed counterinvasion and became the unlucky sap who got killed.

By me.

I never thought I would have to kill a human.

But there was no time to dwell on these thoughts. We had to relocate.

I took a small flashlight from the side pack. I knew there had to be some sort of switch that would allow this suit of armor to transform into motorcycle mode. I checked the interior. I did see the speedometer and engine gauges.

Then I saw it, right near where one of the handlebars folded into.

"Here it goes," I said.

I toggled the switch.

The Cyclone underwent this transformation. Mechanical parts shifted around. It then had the form of a motorcycle; its dead rider fell out.

I noticed the rider had been wearing some sort of body armor. With a few tugs, I managed to remove it. I then wore it over my torso.

"Okay," I said to Itzak. "Let's go."

I hopped on the Cyclone and rode out; we picked up Itzak's bike along the way.

Ooooooooo

The Cyclone is a bit clunkier than most motorcycles, about as clunky as the heaviest model of Harley Davidson. I rode along the rough road, making sure Itzak, riding on his father's motorcycle, was visible in the mirror.

We arrived at a bushy area. There should sufficient concealment.

We took some sleeping bags from the compartment of the motorcycle. The bags were sturdy and they had this camouflage pattern. We would be difficult to see at night.

I also used some camouflage cover to conceal both the Cyclone and the Suzuki. I had to admit, Ebrahim was well-prepared.

I looked and saw Itzak sleeping soundly. I stared up at the night sky. There were few clouds; I can see the stars as they would appear from Earth's surface.

I thought about the human I killed.

I did not know if he was a bad guy or a villain. For all I knew, he was a soldier fighting under the laws of war. He might have had hopes and dreams, like Itzak.

And yet, we may have been thrust into conflict because of a fight over territory.

A conflict I found myself in because I was an engineer on a ship that hunted the Invid. The crew of that ship must have killed dozens of Invid during their hunts for protoculture. Did Invid have hopes and dreams?

These thoughts kept running as I drifted off to sleep.


	5. Radio Show

I stirred awake upon feeling a push. I got up, and saw Itzak Mlama. I looked up at the blue sky, seeing a few white clouds.

I was still on Earth. I looked around, seeing a landscape of brush with scattered trees. I felt a slight breeze.

"Good morning," I said, rubbing my eyes.

"Good morning," Itzak replied.

"We're going to need to find a place for you. Maybe there's a friendly town or village. Or maybe even those cities your dad mentioned."

"We have to cross mountains to get to Nairobi or Dar es Salaam. Invid kill those who try to cross mountains."

I looked around. It was undeveloped land, much like the fringes of the Glorie Commonwealth. It was also quiet, with no sign of machinery. It looked so peaceful.

But it was the last two nights which showed me how violent this part of Earth could be.

"It looks peaceful here," I said. "But we can't stay here. We've got to get you to civilization."

I went over to the Cyclone veritech motorcycle which I laid on its side and concealed with camouflage. I checked the gauges and instruments to make sure everything was running smoothly.

"Look here!" yelled Itzak.

I immediately ran to the boy; he was pointing at the ground. I looked and saw tire tracks.

"That's from the Cyclone," I said.

"No. Look over here."

I looked to where Itzak was pointing. I could see, etched in the dirt, tire tracks identical to the Cyclone.

"These look fresh," I said. "Someone was here. Someone was here last night."

"Check supplies," he said.

Itzak had a good idea. I went to check all of the supplies- the dry stores, the canteens of water, the tools, the weapons, the ammunition.

Nothing was missing. I felt relieved. Things were bad enough as it was.

Itzak and I ate our breakfast, which was most assuredly not eggs, bacon, and potatoes. Instead, it was these dry grains. We followed that up with sipping water from the canteens.

"Okay, buddy," I said, "breakfast is over. Let's get going."

I put on the armor and helmet, sat on the Cyclone, and glanced at Itzak. We then rode off.

Ooooo

The road was rough. I could see that it had once been paved, but the pavement had cracked so much that I found it a smoother ride along the dirt shoulders.

In the distance I could see hot air balloons rising from close to the horizon. I looked through binoculars and saw this emblem of a bird in front of a shield with red, blue, and green.

"Are they familiar to you?" I asked Itzak, handing him the binoculars. He looked through them, towards the direction of the balloons.

"Yes, we go to them," he answered.

And so we did. We continued riding on the side of the rough road, and after a few minutes, we approached this checkpoint from where the balloons appeared to be rising.

I could tell this place was only recently erected. There was a makeshift wall made out of sandbags. Machine guns were mounted on top of the sandbag walls. On both sides of the road there were wooden boxes erected on stilts.

One of the men stood on the road, holding his palm out facing towards us. Itzak stepped down from the Suzuki motorcycle and spoke with the man in his native language.

Another man approached, dressed similarly to these men guarding this checkpoint. One very distinguishing feature was a mass of scar tissue covering a quarter of his face. He had this air of authority; I figured he was the sergeant in charge of this checkpoint.

"Who are you?" he asked in English.

I said my name and told him a condensed version of my story- my crash landing on Earth, meeting the Mlamas, the attack on the Mlamas' hometown, my escape from the attackers.

"If you wish to enter, you may wait here," said the sergeant. "we have someone to escort you."

I did not have to wait long.

Soon, I saw a motorcycle approach. As it drew closer, I noticed it was a Cyclone veritech motorcycle. The Cyclone stopped right by me and Itzak. The rider removed the helmet, and the first thing I noticed was she was a woman.

She stood maybe a few centimeters taller than me. Her skin was the color of soil, and she had curly black hair. She was clad in the CVR-03 armor, like I was.

"You were the one," I said. "Last night."

"Yes," she said. "I shall ask your name."

I introduced myself. "This is Itzak Mlama."

"My name is Laureline," she said. "I can escort you to my abode."

And so we all followed her. Riding along, I can see pasture, with cows and sheep grazing in the field, all watched by people in rough clothing. After passing a few more farms, we reached a town, on the right side of the road. The outer perimeter was surrounded by a barbed-wire fence. There were observation towers manned by militiamen art intervals. We followed Laureline to one of the entrances, and an armed militiaman allowed us through. The town itself looked like it was built from scrap. People either wealked, or rode horses or bicycles, along what appeared to be the main drag. On the side streets- which were maybe only about three meters wide- I can see little children playing.

We then came across another gate. It was built into this brick wall. There were brick towers, again with armed militiamen. The militiaman at the gate allowed us through.

The town inside the brick walls looked nicer, with paved streets and lampposts, though it still looked more primitive than the Island Village. Many people notice us, as motor vehicles were not too common in this town.

Laureline led us down this side street lined with small houses. She opens a door.

"Here," she says.

We walk into this room. I can see the floor is paved with flagstones of various colors. I could see a bed in a corner. There were cupboards on one side of the room.

"Nice place," I said.

"You two should be safe here, at least for tonight," said Laureline. "I did see what you do back there, protecting the boy."

"Thank you," said Itzak.

"You can sleep here tonight; the authorities have permitted this much. There is another place where we ladies can talk."

"Where?"

Ooooooooo

"My mom and dad told me about the pioneer days on Planet Glorie," I said.

Laureline took me to this public bath which was quite a walk from her place. It was this huge pool filled with hot water, located inside this brick building. I can feel the heat seep through my skin; the water must be over a hundred degrees. The heat made me feel good, as if it was masking the trials and tribulations I experienced ever since the _Golden Eagle_ was attacked.

"Planet Glorie?" asked Laureline, sitting on a stone bench submerged in the hot water. "Tell me more."

I told her a condensed version of the story how I ended up on Earth.

"So you are from the stars," she said. "My mother was from the stars."

"Yeah, my parents were from Earth. They were among the original colonists of Glorie. Dad was a veteran of the First Robotech War, which is why we got a slot as a colonist."

"I've read about the Robotech Wars."

"Then you must have witnessed the Invid Invasion first hand."

Laureline paused for a few moments. "I remember. That is why we can't go to Nairobi or Dar es Salaam like people did twenty years ago. I remember a trip to Dar es Salaam when I was ten. Everything was bigger; I did not know there were so many people in the world."

"I do have some requests. First, Itzak needs a place to stay. He's only a child. Maybe a family can take him in, or the town can take care of him. I also need to contact Trans Galactic's offices on Mars."

"We may be able to help Itzak," she said, stepping out of the water. "But contacting the planet Mars is out of the question. The Invid block all radio transmissions off world. And even if you can get a message to them, the Invid blockade the planet. They would shoot down anyone who tries to break through.

"If you wish to return home, your only chance is to make it to an Invid-allied territory, like where Dar es Salaam or Nairobi are located- if you can get past the Invid surface blockades in the mountains. You may be able to ask the Invid themselves for a ride home. Though, they may not take kindly on those who raid from them.

"The only other choice is to stay here. You were a ship's engineer, so you can get a better job than just scratching dirt on a field or babysitting cows or sheep. But if we are to offer you refuge, you will need to learn about the situation around the Serengeti region."

"Tell me more," I said, stepping out of the water, droplets dripping from my skin.

"Ever since the war with the Robotech Masters and the collapse of the United Earth Forces, there have been ethnic conflicts for control of the Serengeti," said Laureline. "The people who attacked you are…well, the Purifiers, you can call them. Their leader had been a colonel in the Space Marines during the Second War. Their advantage is that they control large areas of land where the Flower of Life grows."

I heard about the Flower of Life. It was the raw material used to make protoculture, the fuel source for reflex furnaces.

"They trade with the Invid in exchange for protoculture. That is how they were able to power their recycled robotechnology. Opposing the Purifiers is this coalition of clans. Maybe the Purifiers would not have been able to get as far as they did if the rest of us did not spend nearly ten years fighting each other. Anyway, so far we have only been able to conduct raids and counter-raids. We can't muster enough troops to score a decisive victory. And, before, yesterday, they could not take more territory, even with robotechnology."

"So things have changed," I said. "What of the rest of the world?"

"As you might know, the Invid cut us off. They block the mountain passes, and shoot down any aircraft that flies too high or sink any ships that sail too far into the ocean. Still, people have managed to sneak past Invid blockades. The Invid keeps other parts of the world isolated like they do with the Serengeti. Some parts of the world are more or less peaceful, some parts are at war. Many countries are allied with the Invid."

We got dressed and walked back to Laureline's, with Itzak joining us after he took his own bath. There were a few people walking on the streets, and one person riding a horse.

We entered the room. "I wish we had more in terms of entertainment," said Laureline.

"Well, if I wanted entertainment, I should have crashed landed in a big city," I said.

Itzak took out a radio, which we had brought from what had been his home. He turned it on, fiddling with the controls.

"I express condolences for your loss," she said.

"He chose me for a son," said the boy. " He was there for me."

"These Purifiers must pay."

I then heard voices over the radio.

"Stand…by," the speaker said. "White….rook….targeting."

I wernt to the radio and turned the tuning knob.

"This is Calavicci Control," said a voice. "All ships report status."

"ETA to firing range sixty seconds and counting."

"No response from enemy yet."

"First wave of veritech fighters have been launched."

"Dropships on standby."

"Wait," said Laureline. "this must be coming from above Earth."

"The Expeditionary Fleet must be launching an attack against the Invid," I said. "It sounds like a major attack, not just a raid."

"All wing commanders," said a voice. "Maintain loose battle formation. Be prepared to break off for individual combat at first sign of enemy hostilities. It shouldn't be long in coming."

"Okay, you guys, peel off on my signal," said another voice. "Commence firing."

"All Mars Division veritechs switch to battloid mode immediately!"

"Mars Division," I said. "That's Mimi's division. She must be up there now!"

"Who?" asked Itzak.

"Launch the next flight of veritechs."

I kept listening, hoping that Mimi and the others would be able to chase the Invid away from orbit.

"Got one."

"Watch your six."

"I got you covered."

"There's more of them!"

"We must start our final approach through Earth's atmosphere. Our thermal shields are already seriously drained."

"Roger, sir. I'll escort you."

"I can't shake 'em."

"They're coming in too close…ARRRGHH."

"Scott, look out, there are several bandits approaching at two o'clock high."

"Gray Five is down."

"We lost Titan Leader!"

I heard the voices sounding more desperate as the battle above raged on.

"Half the squadron's gone!"

"Commander, you're entering the atmosphere too quickly! You're going to tear the ship apart."

"The Invid has us surrounded!"

"Send help now..YEAAARGHH!"

"We lost the _Calavicci_!"

"No..no..Marlene."

I kept listening to the death cries.

And then there was silence.

Itzak touches my forearm. "Any thing wrong?" he asked.

"One of my friends was up there," I said. "I don't know if she managed to get away."

"There's nothing we can do," said Laureline. "It was your only chance to get off this planet."

Suddenly, I heard a roaring sound. Was it the Purifiers?

The Invid?

"Let's go," said Laureline, already dressing in her armor. "How about we check it out?"

And so we did, after I got into my own set of CVR-3 armor. I rode outside the town on the Cyclone veritech, following Laureline along the road, passing farms and pastures.

In looked and saw smoke on the horizon. "There!" I yelled, pointing.

We turned onto a dirt road and drove our Cyclones towards the smoke.

After a few minutes, we can see the smoke is coming from a barn located in the middle of a pasture field.

We both switched our veritechs to armor mode; I found body encased in what was a motorcycle. It still blew my mind. Anyway, we ran over to the ruins of the barn.

We saw a man in rough clothing- a farmer from the looks of it- holding a shotgun. Inside the barn was a fighter plane, damaged.

And there was a fighter pilot standing on the floor of the barn.


	6. From the Stars

Laureline and I stood inside the ruins of a barn on a farm not far from a town. There was the wreckage of a fighter, and a man in a flight uniform standing, his hands raised. A man in rough clothing, presumably the farmer, is pointing a shotgun at him.

"Gashtar, Third Lieutenant, U.N. Space Marines, One-Zero-Two-One-Niner-Eight-Three," he said. "Gashtar, Third Lieutenant, U.N. Space Marines, One-Zero-Zero-Two-One-Niner-Eight-Three."

I looked and saw some militiamen arrived. This Gashtar fellow repeated himself.

"Listen, we are not your enemies," said Laureline. "We are not allied with the Invid."

"Oh really?" asked Gashtar. He looked at the farmer. "Uh, sorry about your barn, man. I'm sure the Space Marines will pay for the damage. I just hope they don't take it out of my pay."

"But you are still an outsider here," said Laureline. "We may force you to leave."

"Just make contact with the Space Marines. They must be above orbit. They can send down a ship."

I remembered hearing the radio transmissions, the haunted voices of servicemen being killed by the Invid. I was afraid to tell him the fleet had been destroyed.

"Listen, uh, Lieutenant Gashtar, I'm an outsider here too," I said. I introduced myself. "My ship was destroyed by the Invid a few days ago, and I crashed here in an escape pod. Now, maybe you can remove your helmet."

I removed my helmet as I approached him. The pilot removed his helmet from his head.

He had an ordinary-looking human face. He had a swell cleft in his chin, like none I have ever seen. He had two gray eyes. His black hair had this lavender tint. He stood maybe a little less than one eighty centimeters.

"I'm Third Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines," he said. "Veritech Alpha pilot assigned to Titan Squadron, under the command of Major Hong, deployed aboard the U.E.S. _Bruno J. Calavicci_."

"Okay, Gashtar, how did you end up crashing in this barn?" asked Laureline.

"I really shouldn't say."

"I know what happened," I said. "The United Earth Forces launched a major offensive against the Invid. They were defeated, and you managed to crash land here."

The look on Gabe's face told me he was right.

"Listen," he said. "I've no further business here. I will make contact with other survivors."

The militiamen with us shouted something.

"You must come with them," said Laureline.

"Wait, just tell me where the exit is," protested Gabe, holding up his hands. "You can keep the wrecked Alpha as part of the compensation for the damages to the barn here. Tell me where your border is; I'll leave and never bother you guys again. I promise on my honor as a Marine officer."

I then noticed Itzak walking here.

"Itzak!" I yelled. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to know what going on," the boy replied.

"Not much," I said. "Just an outsider who crashed here."

"Like you?"

"I guess."

He walked over to the wrecked Alpha. He stood next to a device.

I recognized it.

It was a Cyclone veritech motorcycle, all folded up. Itzak fiddled with it.

It then unfolded, turning into a motorcycle.

"Thanks, buddy," said Gabe, hopping on to the motorcycle. He then rode out. The militiamen were dumbfounded for a few seconds before they started chasing after him.

I saw Gabe riding out into the distance. I noticed a truck that had transported the militiamen to this farm; there was no way they could catch up to the Cyclone.

On instinct, I immediately gave chase. I was following him close behind. I saw Laureline following me in my rear view mirror. We were riding along the dirt roads between the farms. Pretty soon, we were out into the open wilderness with grass and trees.

He seemed to be getting clear away from us. I wondered if it was because he had a newer model of Cyclone, or if he was more experience and training than I had, with him being a Space Marine and all.

"he got away," I said.

"he can run, but he can not hide," replied Laureline. "Look at the ground."

I looked at the ground, which was bare soil dotted with various small plants. "what asm I looking for?" I asked.

"Tire tracks," she said.

I looked closer and saw a fresh tread pattern. Laureline transformed her motorcycle into armor mode and started walking. I did the same and followed her.

We trekked along the landscape for a while, making sure we were on the lookout. I once again marveled at the beauty of nature here. I saw those long-necked animals grazing some of the umbrella-like trees.

After a few minutes, Laureline pointed slightly to the right. "There he is," she said. I turned, and saw a figure in the distance.

"Hey!" I yelled, announcing myself. "Could we at least talk?"

I turned my Cyclone armor into motorcycle mode, and rode slowly towards Gabe. I can tell he removed his armor, revealing a shirt with a camouflage pattern.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"These people are not your enemy," I said. "They were willing to help."

"You said your ship was shot down by the Invid. Explain."

I told him a condensed story of how I came to Earth.

"Private sector, eh?"

"What do you plan to do now?"

"I still have not figured that out. I know that Supreme Command has authorized all United Earth Forces personnel- including Space Marine officers like me- who are stranded on Earth and not in contact with their commanders or headquarters- which I am- to conduct independent combat operations against the forces of the Invid Regency."

"And what do you know about the situation on the ground?"

"Nothing, except I wrecked some farmer's barn."

I walked towards Gabe. "You'll need to know the situation here. This part of Earth is in conflict."

"So if I decide the fight the Invid, you'll help me."

"The Coalition- I'll explain what they are later," said Laureline. "They are neutral with the Invid."

"I guess I'll go with you," said Gabe. "I need to find out more about this coalition."

I heard an engine. I turned and saw Itzak approaching on the Suzuki. He stopped the Suzuki maybe a few meters from where we were standing.

"Hey, little buddy," Gabe said to the boy. "You can call me Gabe. And you are?"

"Look out!" yelled Itzak.

I looked around. There were trees and brush.

And then I heard this screeching sound.

Itzak pointed towards the blue sky.

And then beams struck the ground near us.

"Invid!" itzak yelled.

I transformed my Cyclone into armor mode. Sure enough, I could see that these were the four-limbed mecha of the Invid Regency.

And we were in a fight.


	7. Another Attack By the Invid

There was no time to think.

Then Invid Regency was attacking.

I transformed the Cyclone veritech into armor mode and took cover, even as I fired at them. I glanced and saw Laureline engaging with the enemy mecha.

I knew I had to get Itzak to safety.

I kept firing to distract the Invids' attention. I had to use what little cover I had to avoid being struck by the enemy weapons.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Itzak making his escape on the Suzuki. I continued to keep the Invid busy, opening fire in their direction.

Two of them were going after Itzak.

I had to stop them, so I pursued.

What happened afterwards was like a blur. I kept firing at the two enemy mecha. It was like I was on overdrive. My only thought was to keep Itzak safe.

During my dance, I noticed that one of the mecha exploded. I then was thrown back by an explosion. I looked and saw a mean-looking four-limbed mecha with two cannons on its shoulders.

I continued my dance, becoming a difficult target to aim at. The ground was being blasted around me.

I saw Itzak trying to draw the attention of one of the Invid mecha.

"Itzak!" I yelled. I drove atowards wehre he was, got between him and the mecha.

And I blasted away right at the eye. I can see the Invid mecha fall.

The other Invid went after me, firing rockets. I made myself a really hard target to hit.

I don't know how, but I scored a direct hit agaionst the mecha's eye. The Invid flew off.

I was still wary. Where were Gabe and Laureline?

I looked and saw them. I did not see any of the Invid around.

"We'd better leave before they send reinforcements!" I yelled.

We traveled maybe a few hundred meters or so, finding a grove of trees.

"Are you guys all right?" asked Gabe.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said.

"Me too," replied Laureline.

"We'd like to know more about you," I said.

Gabe removed his helmet, revealing dark hair. I noticed a purplish tint in his hair. "Third Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines, assigned as a pilot for a VFA-6 Alpha veritech fighter for Titan Squadron, under the command of Major Hong."

"What happened?" asked Laureline.

We knew the answer, but we wanted to hear Gabe's side of the story.

"Admiral Rick Hunter, commander of the Expeditionary Space Fleet, ordered the 21st Mars Fleet Division, with its attached Marine division, for a strike against the Invid orbital defense fleet and surface installations on Earth. The Space Marine veritech squadrons were supposed to land on Earth and secure LZ's while the Spacy covered for us and engaged the Invid in orbit. My squadron launched from the _U.E.S. Bruno Calavicci_ to punch our way to our assigned LZ. I took a hit and crash landed on Earth. Now I have to lay low until a rescue team arrives."

I could remember what I heard over the radio. The cries for help, terrified, panicked warriors.

"There's not going to be a rescue team," I said. "I heard the battle over the radio. The fleet was wiped out."

"What?" asked the pilot. "You can't be serious!"

"I heard it too," said Laureline.

Gabe remained silent for a few minutes. He looked around at the scenery. "So this is Earth," he said. "I was very little when my dad was reassigned to Tirol. I guess, unless and until Supreme Command orders another strike against the Invid on Earth, I'm stuck on this rock."

"What will you do, Lieutenant Gashtar?" I asked.

"Call me Gabe."

"Okay, Gabe," said Laureline.

"I'll have to find other UEF personnel. Some may have survived the battle above, others may have been stuck here since the Invid first invaded."

I briefly wondered if Mimi was one of the survivors. "You'll need to know the situation on the ground here."

And so Laureline told Gabe about the Purifiers and the Coalition, about how the Invid block access to the mountains separating the Serengeti from the east African coast.

And I told a condensed version of my story, and Itzak told Gabe a condensed version of his story.

He looked towards the mountains. "If there's any UEF soldiers nearby, they might be hiding in the mountains. Mountains are a pretty good place to hide. To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised you're living out in the open. I would think that all humans would be hiding in caves and bunkers."

"The Coalition is neutral regarding the Invid, and the Invid respects our neutrality," said Laureline. "If you choose to stay with us, you may not fight the Invid. We have a hard enough time protecting ourselves from the Purifiers."

Gabe looks up. "Major Hong," he said. "Stick. Jonesy. Hammer. They might all be gone. I might be the only survivor of Titan Squadron. Or maybe even the entire division."

"Try staying with us for a while," I said.

And so he did.

Oooooooooo

"I must thank you for your hospitality," said Gabe. "I only wish we could have liberated this world from the Invid."

Gabe sat inside Laureline's quarters, eating lentil stew. She had decided to let us stay for the night. I had been informed that the authorities here were permitting Gabe to stay temporarily.

"Maybe," replied Laureline.

"I just have to figure out what to do now," said the lieutenant. "Supreme Command has authorized UEF personnel, not in contact with their commanders or headquarters, to take independent action against the Invid. If I am to take the fight against the Invid, I will need allies."

"We are neutral," said Laureline. "You must leave Coalition territory if you wish to continue your fight against the Invid."

"Well, I did hear the Ocean Patrol has some submarines hiding under Earth's oceans. If I could get across those mountains to the coast and somehow make contact."

"Do you have to fight the Invid?" I asked.

"Technically, not unless my headquarters contacts me," answered Gabe. "I suppose I could lay low here. Of course, the people here won't just let me mooch off them. I doubt U.N. dollars are accepted here, and I can't access my bank account anyway nor get a new credit card."

That was pretty much the same boat I was.

"You could trade in that Cyclone," suggested Laureline.

"I don't know," said Gabe. "It could be considered stealing military property."

"But you would have discretion over what to do about the Cyclone," I said. "You are authorized to take independent action, and if you have to sell the Cyclone to lay low until you can take your next action against the Invid, that must be in your authority."

"You sure know how to think," replied Gabe. "Still, I'd better consider finding work. I'm not work-shy. One of the things I learned from the U.N. Aerospace Academy is a strong work ethic. Having upperclassmen insisting I do more chores sure destroyed any sense of entitlement I had."

"U.N. Aerospace Academy?" I asked. "The one on Planet Glorie?"

"That same one," said Gabe. "You went there too?"

"No, I went to the Tirol Aerospace Academy. Had a scholarship."

"So you're a Nighthawk, then."

"Yup. Just graduated a few months ago."

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the looks of confusion on the faces of Laureline and Itzak.

"Have you been to Santoso Island on Planet Glorie?" I asked.

"UI think so. Went with a couple of classmates my second class year. Nice quiet village. Most of us preferred to visit downtown Primopolis."

"I grew up there."

"You did?"

"Absolutely. My family received a land grant there when Glorie was first colonized. Did you visit Seafood on the Bay?"

"No, I haven't heard of it."

"I had my first job there. You should try it the next time you are on Planet Glorie. They serve native seafood, certified arsenic-free."

"If I get off this rock," said Gabe. "You went to the academy on Tirol, right?"

"Yeah," I replied. "After graduation, I was hired by Trans-Galactic as a privateer."

"When I went to the U.N. Aerospace Academy," said Gabe. "I was thinking I would be an officer on a merchant ship. But I liked flying, and I went into active duty in the Space Marines."

"Well, let me tell you about myself," interjected Laureline. "I went to a one-room schoolhouse. I live as a simple farmer and serve as a scout in the local militia part time."

"I went to school, until Purifiers came," said Itzak.

Ooooooooooo

"And here we go," I said, soldering that last connection.

I did not regret going into engineering. There certainly would not be many opportunities for a history graduate or a business management graduate here.

Most people did not learn how to fix things. I guess that was true across all cultures. I always like fixing mechanical things.

And that was why I was able to do something here other than scratching dirt all day.

I tested this piece of robotechnology. To be specific, it was a GR-01 Garland veritech motorcycle. It was basically a heavier, less maneuverable version of the Cyclone. It was used during the Second Robotech War. I heard that it handles pretty much like a garbage truck.

"I'll test this," said a militiaman, getting on the motorcycle. He slowly drives the Garland out of town and into an open field where the town's militia trains. I had seen the training before, seeing the militiamen practice maneuvers and drills. I watched as he rode the Garland around, transforming it into a battloid which clearly provided greater protection than the Cyclone.

I knew that if I were to reside here, I would have to be part of this militia.

I went back to Laureline's. I helped prepare the meal.

"What's for dinner?" asked Gabe as he walked in.

"Well, you have the choice of lentil stew, lentil stew, or lentil stew," I answered.

"Wow," said Gabe. "Such variety. Although not as much as I had on my training cruise."

"No kidding. At least it was a better variety of slop. How was your day?" I asked.

"Well, I could get a career as a gardener if being a veritech pilot doesn't work out for me. I haven't had to physically exert myself this hard since my first training cruise."

"You're saying it. I remember how hard I worked on my first training cruise. I must have spent a third of the cruise shining and polishing every surface until I saw my reflection."

"Trading old war stories?" asked Laureline.

"Well, the war against grime and soot," I said.

Gabe and I had a laugh.

We all ate our lentil stew. From the few days I spent here, food was not as abundantas it was back home.

At least I did not have to worry about my weight- for now.

"What are you going to do?" Itzak asked Gabe.

"I don't know," he replied. "I still have my oath to the Space Marines."

"I don't know. What if the Invid…"

"What?" snapped Gabe. "The Invid defeated the Expeditionary Forces? That's not something I'm gonna consider. They may control the skies above Earth, but I'm sure humanity is just planning the next round. Maybe we'll even have backup from the Sentinels Alliance."

"The who?" asked Laureline.

"The Sentinels," I said. "The U.N. joined this alliance. They're, well, a coalition of starfaring civilizations opposing the Invid Regency. Some of them helped with the evacuation."

"Sounds like the Coalition," said Laureline.

We heard this alarm blare.

"There's trouble," said Laureline.


	8. Scouting Mission

My ears perked upon hearing the word "trouble" from Laureline.

"What is it?" asked Itzak.

"The Purifiers are on the offensive," said Laureline. "They're less than ten klicks from here. We need to evacuate the non-combatants."

"I can help," said Gabe.

"You want to fight the Purifiers?"

"I'll escort the civilians. I might not fight someone else's war, but I'll protect the innocent."

"I'll go with you," I said to Gabe. I looked at Itzak. "Come with us."

We went outside. I could see the townspeople already gathered out of their homes. Many of them carry bundles, which I guessed were packed with whatever precious belongings they can carry.

"I'd better get going," said Laureline as she sat on her Cyclone in cycle mode, while wearing her armor.

"Take care," I said as she drove off.

I wondered if I would see her again.

Gabe and I got on our Cyclones. We followed the crowd of townspeople leaving. We were moving at as crawl. There was this huge truck which I figured was left over from the Second Robotech War. People followed the truck either on horseback or on foot.

It got dark as we traveled. I could see the stars above. It looked much different than the night sky of Glorie. Aside from the starlight, the only lights came from fires and flashlights, as well as the headlights from the truck. I could hear the murmuring of conversations among humans as well as whinnying from horses.

Finally,. We came to a stop. Militiamen stood guard, clutching their rifles.

"Are you all right, little buddy?" Gabe asked Itzak.

"Yes," Itzak replied.

I could see smoke rising at the horizon. I wondered how Laureline was doing. Itzak was looking at that direction. He was thinking the same thing, I could tell.

All we could do is be prepared. I had the feeling these Purifiers would not spare Itzak, Gabe, or me.

Gabe and I kept watch. We would not let these Purifiers hurt Itzak.

Oooooooo

If there was anything I could say, being on watch is boring.

Nothing happens.

Nothing happens,- at least until enemy troops or thieves or commandos or saboteurs decide to strike.

Being on lookout meant you were waiting for the other guys to make a move.

And it gets me thinking.

What if these Purifiers come after us?

What if the Invid conquered my home world?

Was Laureline all right?

I heard some engines, I looked and saw the outline of vehicles. My heart was racing, as I did not know if these were the Purifiers.

A Cyclone stopped near me.

"Laureline!" I yelled as she removed her helmet. I ran to hug her. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Same here," she replied. "Is Itzak all right?"

"I'm fine," he answered.

"Hey, no love for me?" asked Gabe.

"Maybe a little," I said.

"Did you beat the bad guys?" asked Itzak.

"No," answered Laureline, bowing her head down. "There were too many of them. We had to retreat. So many of us are..are gone. These Purifiers- they took everything away from me- and they keep taking from us."

"There must be something we can do," said Gabe.

"So it's your fight now?"

"Well, it's not like the Purifiers are gonna spare me simply because my direct deposit comes from the U.N.. Unless I can hook up with other UEF units, I'm stuck in this war."

Ooooooooo

"You okay?" I asked Itzak, just after daybreak.

"We keep having to run," said Itzak. "Are they chase us to mountains?"

I looked towards the mountains in the distance, including the snow-capped mountain called Kiliminjaro. I heard the Invid Regency had forts in the mountains, and their mecha fires upon any human caught in the mountains.

They were keeping humanity on Earth divided. Which made sense, as a divided humanity could not drive the Invid off the surface of the planet.

"I guess you never imagined being stranded on Earth when you signed up to be a privateer," said Gabe.

"I was told that anything could happen," I replied. "That's why they paid well. I was being paid as much as people with masters' degrees and twenty years on the job."

"I guess I'm surprised too. I mean, it was always a possibility that the U.N. would try to reclaim Earth. We were mostly trying to fight the Invid across the galaxy. Taking the battle of Earth felt like something that would be put off forever- until that briefing on board the _Calavicci_ when I learned that Titan Squadron would be landing on Earth. At least I got that part done. It was my first combat sortie."

"How did you feel?"

"Scared shitless. Every second felt it would be my last. I can't believe I survived, while Major Hong and the others…"

"I know how you feel," said Laureline. "Wondering why you survived, and others didn't."

"I wonder that too," I said. "Han Sang, Skipper Tazzel. Even Ta'Nari, she survived long enough to reach the surface, but was killed when the Invid decided to mop up for survivors."

Gabe, Itzak, and Laureline looked at me. Although they never heard of my old crewmates, at least they understood how I felt.

They understood all too well.

Oooooooooooo

Here I went again.

Gabe, Itzak, and I decided to join Laureline on a scouting mission. Hanging around at the camp was quite boring, even more so than having watchstanding at the Tirol Aerospace Academy. I noticed the landscape of the Serengti, with open spaces and groves of trees, with Kiliminjaro rising in the distance. Occasionally wildlife would scurry along the ground.

We need to know the enemy's movements- specifically, movements of large numbers of troops.

The enemy.

I guess the Purifiers were my enemy now. They were Itzak's enemy, as they killed his dad.

And Laureline has been resisting the Purifiers since she was twelve.

We all wore these things called Ghillie suits over us, to make us harder to see.

We made a few stops during the mission, looking around.

One time, we saw a figure in the distance; we all laid low. Laureline looked through her binoculars.

"He's a Purifier militiaman," she said. She got on her Cyclone and transformed into armor mode. I could see the the horseman saw us.

Laureline opened fire, taking down the horse and its rider.

"We had better relocate before reinforcements arrive," she said.

And so we did.

We continued our scouting. As we rode along our Cyclones, Gabe spotted something.

"Look!" he yelled.

"What is it?" I asked. I looked around. I did not see enemy scouts, let alone entire divisions.

"The flowers," he said.

I looked at the ground, and I noticed these pink flowers growing. I picked one of them and apparently these flowers grew in triplets. They looked familiar.

I could see Itzak staring closely at these flowers. "What are these?" he asked. "They pretty."

"Flowers of Life," replied Gabe. "Those flowers are the raw material for protoculture."

"So the Invid grow them here?" asked Laureline. "But where are the fences, the Invid, the Purifiers?"

"Well, at the end of the Second Robotech War," said Gabe, "the Flower of Life spread across Earth. The Invid Regency invaded afterward."

"No wonder they invaded," I said.

"We can't spend our time picking flowers," said Laureline. "We need to see what the enemy is up to."

"Right," replied Gabe.

And so we continued our scouting mission. I had to admit.

Being on the move while looking out was only slightly less boring than standing still while looking around.

Laureline looked through some binoculars. She put the binoculars down. There was this look of fury on her face, like a volcano ready to erupt after millions of years of holding back pressure.

"What is it?" I asked.

She pointed. I could see the distant outline of buildings. I looked through my own binoculars and I could see what looked like prefabricated buildings. This looked like a Purifiier base.

We were too far into Purifier territory.

I could see activity in the base. A guard stood at attention, holding a rifle.

I then saw three more men clad in camouflage. One of them was holding a chain.

A chain that was connected to three chains.

At the other end of those three chains were collars.

And wearing those collars were girls.

Naked girls.


	9. The Evil of Men

"Good God," said Gabe, throwing down his binoculars.

"We need to save them," said Laureline. "They've gone too far!"

"Wait," said Gabe. "We need to call for backup. We can't just attack with just the three of us."

"And we let another woman…" started Laureline.

I was still shocked and horrified about what I saw over there. I had only read about the atrocities committed during the wars that engulfed Earth prior to the arrival of that alien spaceship that brought robotechnology to us over forty years ago.

I never saw such atrocities, even at a distance.

"Gabe's right," I said. "Going in alone could get us killed- or we could end up joining those women."

"I'll die before I let those Purifiers… I'll radio headquarters." I heard Laureline speak in this language which was becoming familiar to me. I could hear confusion in her voice.

"What is it?" I asked.

"They're not responding," she replied.

"You're right," said Gabe. "I don't hear them on this channel….Not this one either."

Laureline continued speaking. I could see the look of frustration on her face. She looked through the binoculars towards the enemy camp.

"We'll have to scout around," she said.

"I'll help,": said Gabe. "This…this is a war crime."

And so we did. We drove around on our bikes, looking at the enemy camp with our binoculars. I could see the guard towers with armed guards standing watch.

I did not want to imagine what these prisoners are going through.

We huddled together to come up with a plan of attack.

Laureline tried to contact the Coalition, but there was no response.

And so we had to execute the plan, the four of us.

Oooooo

I drove around, until I was a few dozen meters away from one of the gates of the complex. I could see the chain link fence, as well as the barbed wire topping it.

I could hear chatter over the radio link.

I checked my watch.

It was time. On instinct, I drove towards the gate full throttle. I then transformed the Cyclone into armor mode, and crashed through the gate. Some of the guards took notice, so I fired upon them with the H-90 beam gun. I then went in to the complex, taking cover behind drums and boxers so that I would not get shot up.

I had to keep running and shooting. This wasn't a first-person shooter.

I saw one of the guards appear from around the corner of a building. I heard a shot.

And he fell. I looked and saw Gabe in his Cyclone armor.

"Watch your six," he said.

So I did. I took cover, shoot at tmy foes, and took cover again.

Then I saw what looked like two suits of armor, nearly four meters tall. They must be Garland veritech cycles in armor mode.

"We'll need heavier ammo for those two," I said.

So basically we went about, making ourselves difficult to hit and taking cover while the enemy Garlands fired upon us.

I then saw some drums lined up against a wall behind one of the Garlands- drums with a picture of a flame.

I opened fire upon the drums.

There was this huge fireball and a sound like roaring thunder. I could feel the heat even through my Cyclone armor.

We kept moving and somehow we managed to meet up with Laureline.

"I'll search this building," I said, referring to the building that we were standing next to."

"We'll cover you," said Gabe.

And so they did, and I went in. It was a large room, with rows of bunks and mats on the floor.

Amd inside were women of various ages, with only iron collars adorning them.

I removed my helmet. "Listen, we're here to rescue you," I said. "You can trust us."

Some of them and I went outside, meeting with Gabe and Laureline. Laureline said some words to these ladies.

"We'll need to get them out of here," she said in English.

"There must be some sort of prison transport or supply truck," said Gabe. "What's that? Do you hear that?"

I could hear this thup-thup-thup sound.

"Take cover!" yelled Laureline.

And so we did. I heard this explosion.

"Is everyone all right?" I asked.

I looked up and saw an assault helicopter; it looked like the same one that attacked Itzak's village.

It opened fire with its machine gun. All we could do is take cover.

I could see a few of the women lying down. I looked and saw Gabe and Laureline crouching down.

Gabe transformed his Cyclone into cycle mode, and started riding around. The helicopter responded by firing at him.

I acted on instinct.

I remember jumping onto the roof of a building. I could see the helicopter up close, still firing.

I just jumped onto the cockpit, facing the pilot and copilot. I opened fire at point-blank range.

And then I fell, feeling the air rushing beside me.

I could see a wooden ramp below.

I transformed the Cyclone into cycle mode and landed on the ramp, And then I was stopped on the grounds; I must have traveled a few meters after hitting that ramp.

"Wow!" exclaimed Gabe, driving up to me. "Did you do motorcycle stunts as a hobby?"

"I don't know how I did it," I said.

I looked and I can see and smell the smoke from the wreckage of the helicopter.

"We had better gather the survivors and get going," said Laureline. "Reinforcements will arrive soon."

And so we did. Itzak joined us here, having stayed a safe distance away during the battle. We found two twenty-ton trucks that must have been uswed by the defense forces in the war with the Robotech Masters, and were more recently used by the Purifiers as a troop transport.

Already I could see that some of the guards were at the tender mercies of their captives.

Laureline was speaking to one of the guards closely. He was crying.

She places her hand ovwer his mouth. He was struggling to breathe and looked like he was going to suffocate to death.

I didn't say anything to object, nor do anything to intervene. Laureline finally laid down the guard.

I noticed that she marked something on her arm.

"We had better pack up and go," she said.

And so we did.

The now-freed captives got inside the two trucks. Laureline and I loaded the Cyclones and Itzak's Suzuki motorcycle into the trucks. We then started driving, with Gabe driving his Cyclone ahead of us.

After maybe half an hour of driving, we came to a stop. This was where we were camped this morning, after we withdrew from the village as the Purifiers' militia approached.

No one was there.

"We should be here," said Laureline over the raduio. "This should be the place."

"There were people here," said Gabe. "I can see footprints and tire tracks and…bodies."

I stepped out of the truck. Itzak, Laureline, and I looked at the scene. I could see the corpses of the Coalition militiamen, as well as the corpses of some horses.

I said a small prayer.

"The children are not here," said Itzak, looking around this battlefield.

I did not know how to feel about that.

Did the children escape as these militiamen fought the Purifiers?

Or were they captured and being transported to a camp like the one we just liberated.

I walked over to Itzak.

"I'm glad I went with you," he said.

"If only the Invid weren't orbiting the planet," said Gabe. "Maybe the U.N. could grant asylum."

"You think so?" asked Laureline.

"We've done that before."

"This was not the Invid's doing," said Laureline. "The Invid did not create the Purifiers. They formed after the United Earth Government collapsed after the war with the Robotech Masters. A United Earth Government that collapsed because its leaders decided to steal the world's money instead of using it to prepare for the arrival of the Invid. The Purifiers' leader was a colonel from your Space Marines."

"I didn't know," said Gabe.

"They started their campaign to cleanse this region after the global government collapsed," continued Laureline. "They managed to recruit soldiers who deserted the United Earth Forces after their paychecks bounced. It was over eleven and a half years ago when they decided to purify my village. I was twelve at the time. My parents sent me to fetch my baby brother Samuel and hide out until the Purifiers left. Can you guess what happened to him."

For half a minute, none of us wanted to answer.

"Was he killed fighting the Purifiers?" asked Itzak.

"No," answered Laureline. "The enemy troops were patrolling real close to where I was hiding with Samuel. We had to stay quiet or else they would find us and kill us. But Samuel was crying. I had to cover his mouth so the Purifiers would not hear us. I wanted to wait until night when I could escape with my baby brother. When darkness came, I knew something was wrong with Samuel. He was….he was dead. I suffocated him. I had to keep him quiet to keep the soldiers from finding us, and I suffocated him."

I did not know what to say. I've only read about wartime atrocities. Mom and Dad only saw the Rain of Death from a distance. I was hearing a firsthand account.

Laureline rolled up her sleeve. I could see several scars, with some scars spelling the name "SAMUEL".

"I place a mark for every Purifier I suffocated, the way I suffocated Samuel," she said.

I put my hand on Laureline's shoulder.

"Why did he have to die?" she cried. "WHY DID I HAVE TO KILL HIM?"


	10. Nine Men's Morris

After a few minutes of driving, we managed to reach the camp site. Laureline had made contact with the Coalition militia.

Or apparently, what was left of it.

I could see many of the militiamen- some standing watch, others doing work to maintain the camp, while others were doing their best to relax.

"I just can not believe it," said Itzak. "About what happened with Laureline."

"It's hard to believe," said Gabe. "Hard to believe humans could do such things."

"Maybe it is a feature of all life," I said. "Scalies back on Planet Glorie still fight wars with each other. On Tirol, there was a worldwide war after the Robotech Masters left and the moon was left in ruins by the time the Invid Regency invaded. I even toured some of the ruins, seen pictures of what the cities used to look like before the wars there."

"Maybe," said Itzak. "I wonder what the Universe is like out there."

He looks up at the stars. I looked up too, noticing the pattern of stars is different from that on Glorie or Tirol.

Laureline came back to us.

"You okay there, girl?" I asked.

"I heard there were many desertions," she replied.

"I understand," said Gabe. "My dad told me a lot of soldiers on Earth deserted after the war with the Robotech Masters."

"We're losing. Our backs are against these mountains. Listen, this..this isn't your fight. Your fight is with the Invid. You need to escape from here, get as far away from the Purifiers as you can."

"What about you?" I asked.

"I…I do not know," Laureline answered. "If only we did not waste those years fighting each other. By the time we put our differences aside the Purifiers were too powerful."

"There must be a way to get these people to safety," said Gabe. "You mentioned other cities."

"Nairobi is north. But we have to cross these mountains, and the Invid patrol these mountains."

"You said people have managed to cross the mountains before," I said.

"Smugglers in groups of three, not an entire crowd of refugees."

"We need to get rest," said Itzak, yawning. "I'm sleepy."

And so we did.

Oooooo

The next morning, I focused on tuning up our bikes. I was trying to keep busy, trying not to think about what I saw yesterday, and about what I had learned about Laureline.

I was reminded how sheltered my childhood was growing up in the Glorie Commonwealth, even as it was just developing like I was. But even though my childhood was a bit primitive compared to what life was like on Tirol, or even on Glorie at the time I was hired by Trans Galactic, I never felt the threat of war.

But Laureline, who was on Earth during the war with the Robotech Masters, followed by the collapse of the United Earth Government and what happened afterward…

"Any luck?" I asked Gabe, as he was listening over the radio.

"No," he replied. "I don't hear anything that could have come from a U.N. sub."

There was not much to do but do maintenance on the bikes and wait. I looked as I saw Itzak playing games with some of the few children that were here.

Our meals were very simple too.

"So you are outlander here," I heard a man's voice say.

I looked and saw a dark-skinned man armed with a rifle. He appeared to be in his early thirties and was dressed in camouflage, with an emblem on his sleeve.

"You speak English," I said.

"I was veteran of Southern Cross," he said. "I fought Robotech Masters when I was young, younger than you and Gabriel."

"I've been speaking to some of the militiamen here," said Gabe. "I figured many of them are UEF veterans that would speak English."

"Anything you heard?" I asked.

"Not good news," he said. "There's no water source here. If the Purifiers occupy all the nearby water sources these people would be finished."

"You sure know quite a bit about strategy."

"Well, I had to learn strategy in my upper level ROTC courses. Having supplies is the foundation of warfare, from ragtag guerilla militias to starfaring fleets. It's why the Robotech Masters' empire collapsed. Their access to protoculture was lost."

"The raw material for protoculture grows here naturally," I said, picking up a Flower of Life growing on the ground. "That is why the Invid dug into this planet. If they lose Earth, they lose the war in space."

"Right now, the Invid are the least of our problems."

"But their forces are keeping these people from escaping this region."

"I know."

I walked over to Itzak. He was scratching dirt on the ground with another boy.

"What are you playing?" I asked.

The other boy said something in a language I barely understood.

"Nine Men Morris," answered Itzak. "I used to play with kids back home. We have to move pieces around."

I could see a square pattern scratched in the dirt. There were pebbles and pieces of twigs on the ground. Itzak moved one of the pebbles and said something to the other boy.

"I won," he said.

"Can you show me how to play?" I asked.

"Sure," replied Itzak. "You use the sticks."

I could see tiny pieces of wood.

"We take turns putting pieces on dots, where lines cross. Three in a row, I remove your piece. You can go first."

And so I did. With both of us starting with nine pieces, I put a twig on a spot, and Itzak out a pebble on a spot.

"I have three in row," he said. "I take one piece from you."

I looked and saw three pebbles all aligned. He removed one of the twigs from the ground.

We continued. He again managed to get three in a row. We took turns. I just had to take one of his pieces.

I placed a twig. Three in a row! I took one of the pebbles.

We then placed one more piece each.

"Now we move the pieces along these lines," said Itzak. "Three in a row, remove piece. Less than two pieces, or trapped, you lose."

And so we moved pieces around. I noticed Itzak was adept in keeping me from forming three in a row.

It was my turn. Looked, and I could not move any of the pieces.

"I win," said Itzak.

"Thank you for teaching me this," I said. I saw him smile. I could not believe he could do that, considering he lost his home, and what he witnessed back at that Purifier prison camp. I guessed he was just trying to take his mind off the situation he was in, the situation that we were all in.

I heard something. I looked and saw flames erupt. I could feel the heat.

More flames erupted.

We were under attack!


	11. Stampede!

Another wall of flame rose up. People- both civilians and militiamen, scampered about. I could smell the smoke even as I saw it rise to the open sky above. The people were doing their best to preserve equipment and animals.

I made sure Itzak was safe.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied, looking at the flames. I looked around. Some of the adults were comforting the children, while other adults- militiamen- stood stiffly with their rifles, on alert for any enemy- human or otherwise.

No more flames erupted.

"You guys all right?" asked Gabe, running towards us.

"Yeah, we're all right," I replied.

"It looks like it was just a raid."

"So not that bad?" asked Itzak.

"Very bad in the long run," replied Gabe. "They can lob flame shells at us like boys tossing pebbles in a pond. We're reduced to hiding."

I did not have to say it. These Purifiers wanted to kill us.

There was not much else to do at the time but wait.

Once again, we were given rations, which was basically a cup of lentil stew. It was not much either. I gave Itzak some of my share.

My stomach was growling.

I could remember the times my family took me to the village, where we would have pizza and soda for lunch- never mind the full meals served at the mess at the Tirol Aerospace Academy. I never thought about having enough food to eat before, like ever.

Laureline approached us, still clad in her CVR-3 armor.

"We have a plan," she said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"There's no way we have supplies to feed all the non fighters. So we're going to load up the children and other non fighters an d try to cross those mountains."

"You said the Invid control the mountains and will kill anyone who tries to cross," said Gabe.

"Yes, they do," replied Laureline. "Not only that, what is left of the Coalition may be in conflict with the Invid as well. But if they stay here, it will be certain death for the children."

"Will we be safe on the other side?" asked Itzak.

"I can't say. Nairobi is on the other side;we will try to make radio contact with the rulers there. I can't say if the rulers there would grant asylum to you and the others. But we know what the Purifiers will do."

"So Gabe, Itzak, and I are going with the others?" I said.

"You're not of the Coalition militia," answered Laureline. "We can't have you in our fight with the Purifiers."

"Actually, Laureline," said Gabe. "I'd like to cover the escape of the children."

"Gabe?"

"I'm an officer in the Space Marines," he said. "I want to protect these people. I have discretion on what to do when stranded on Earth. I'll use that discretion to protect kids."

Gabe put his hand on my right shoulder. "I..I can't promise I'll be able to join you," he said, looking into my eyes. "Just promise me you'll take care of Itzak."

"I promise," I replied.

He then kneeled down to make eye contact with Itzak. "Listen, buddy," he said to the boy. "I want you to be safe. Laureline and I are covering for you. And make sure she stays out of trouble, okay kiddo?"

Stay out of trouble?

"Yes," replies Itzak.

We got on our bikes. I could see children, as well as the prisoners we rescued from that camp, board the transport trucks. I glanced behind, seeing Gabe and Laureline in the distance.

I was going to miss them.

And so we rode, following the trucks. Escorts were provided, mostly by militiamen on horseback, with a few militiamen riding Garlands and Cyclones in cycle mode. Ahead, I could see a large gap in the mountains. My heart was racing, and I was sweating not just due to the heat and my wearing of the CVR-3 armor.

I kept looking around my surroundings, checking to see if the Purifiers or the Invid would attack us.

"They're coming!" yelled Itzak.

"Who?" I asked.

"The In vid!"

I looked ahead and there were explosions.

The Invid Regency was intent on keeping us from crossing these mountains.

I transformed my Cyclone into armor mode.

"Take cover," I said to Itzak.

I could hear the battle between the Coalition and the Regency. I kept Itzak in my sights. He lost so much. I would not let the Invid take him.

I could see some of the militiamen retreating.

"Gabe, Laureline," I called out. "We could use some backup."

"Purifiers are attacking," said Laureline. "We're trying to hold them back."

I looked at Itzak. I had to find a way to get him to safety. I looked above and could see Invid mecha flying about. I could hear distant explosions from behind me.

"Come on," I said. "We got to take cover."

Itzak and I left the scene. We had to find some brush or a grove of trees. I noticed some of the adults protecting their kids, even as I was protecting Itzak.

I suddenly felt a shockwave. That explosion hit too close.

It looked like the Purifiers were shelling us. I could see the flaming wreckage of a truck.

I could see Itzak driving away on his Suzuki. I gave chase with my Cyclone, feeling the wind blowing against me. I caught a glimpse of the battle between the Coalition and the Purifiers.

I certainly knew the idea. We had to get as far away from here and possible, find a place to hide until the battle is over.

Gabe and Laureline were risking their lives so that we could survive. We drove far away, far from the site where the remnants of the Coalition were trapped between the Purifiers and the Regency.

There were explosions close to us. Were the Purifiers firing at us? Was it a stray shot?"

Then I heard a sound like a roaring trumpet.

"What was that?" I asked.

I looked and saw a patch of gray. I could then feel rumbling. The patch of gray was moving towards us.

I looked through binoculars, and they were these really giant, four legged animals.

"We have to get out of here!" I yelled to Itzak, even as he was driving in the opposite direction on his bike.

I sped away full throttle, feeling the bumps as the Cyclone raced across the terrain. I glanced back, and could see that herd of animals getting closer and closer. I had to keep going full throttle.

Surely these giant beasts did not have as small a turning radius as a Cyclone veritech in cycle mode. I glanced at my instruments. The tachometer was near the redline; but I was barely going twenty kph, due to the rough terrain.

If only I could get onto a paved road, or at least a smooth enough surface. I could feel the rumble of the ground as these creatures were catching up to me.

I was still at max throttle, but most of the power was being used to overcome the uneven terrain, and not so much increasing my forward speed.

The rumbles from the footsteps increased in strength. These beasts were right behind me.

I switched my Cyclone to armor mode.

Somehow, I jumped up really high, and landed on the back of one of these beasts. I could not believe what I had just done. Nevertheless, I had to hang on for dear life. These animals could surely trample me to death, even with me clad in the Cyclone armor.

The ride, while rough, was smoother than driving the Cyclone motorcycle over the rough terrain. I had a longer look at these beasts. Their ears were really big, and their noses were like large fire hoses.

I could look ahead and see some militiamen on the ground, looking pretty small. They all fled, knowing better than to stand their ground against rampaging, stampeding, scared and angry animals that could crush even their leftover robotechnology.

I could see that we were heading towards the pass, even as I was losing the grip on the back of this beast. I knew I had to get on the ground, out of the path of this stampede.

I turned around and started hopping on the backs of these beasts. It took a while, but I finally made it to the ground. I could still feel the shockwaves from the stampede. I looked and saw the elephants stampeding through the pass. I also saw Invid mecha flying away.

Even alien war machines could not stand their ground against Earth's own giant fauna.

I could just follow the giants to the other side.

But I had to find Itzak. I promised Gabe.

"Itzak!" I yelled. "Where are you?"

A dark thought popped up. What if Itzak was trampled by these giants? I promised Gabe I would protect him.

I remember what he had been through, his birth family killed in war, his adoptive father being killed by the Purifiers just days ago.

It couldn't end for him like this!

It just couldn't!


	12. A New Goal

Things were chaotic.

A herd of giant animals just stampeded their way through a pass that the Coalition remnants were trying to go through.

And in this chaos, I lost track of Itzak.

He couldn't have been trampled by those beasts.

He just couldn't!

"Itzak!" I yelled. "Where are you?"

My heart was racing.

Laureline called out to me.

"I'm trying to find Itzak, wondering if he is okay," I said.

Where was that boy?

I heard the sound of an engine. My ears could tell it was a light motorcycle engine.

I saw a motorcycle approach me. I looked through my binoculars and saw that Itzak was driving the motorcycle.

"Itzak!" I yelled.

He drove up, stopping g maybe a few meters from me, and yelled out my name. I got off my Cyclone and hugged him tightly.

"I was so worried," I said, even as my heart slowed down.

"Listen," Gabe said over the radio, "you two have got to get across. We'll cover for you."

"Invid!" yelled Itzak.

I looked around, not seeing anything. Itzak pointed at the sky, so I looked using my binoculars.

I saw some shapes flying by. I looked with my own eyes and saw dots flying towards the mountains.

"Bad news," said Laureline. "The Purifiers are sending reinforcements here."

"The Invid have just sent reinforcements to that pass," I said.

"We had better retreat," said Laureline. I could sense disappointment in her voice.

And so we did.

Oooooo

We had to get a meal. Getting a meal is not as simple as going to town and ordering a burger or pizza at some food stand- let alone sitting at a bar and grill.

Laureline was looking at the ground. I looked and could see an imprint in the soil. It looked like two shoeprints really close together, like a human walking with ankles tied tightly together.

"Wildebeest," said Laureline. She put a finger to her lips to be quiet. We followed the tracks, being as silent as we could. After a few minutes, we saw what Laureline called wildebeests. They stood on four legs, were covered in fur. Their heads were somewhat shaped like the head of a horse, and they had two horns.

Laureline took aim with her weapon, and opened fire. One of the wildebeests fell, and the others scattered away.

"We only need one," she said.

I helped her carry the wildebeest carcass. She, Itzak, and I then carved up the animal was a knife.

"I never seen an animal get butchered like this," said Gabe. "I always thought meat came wrapped in plastic."

"Never grew up on a farm?" I said. "I used to help my parents smoke bacon from pig meat."

"I helped my father butcher cows," said Itzak. "He said some of his ancestors were Masai."

"The Masai," said Laureline. "Cattle herders."

The meat was cooked over an open flame. I could smell the smoke as it rose. My stomach was already growling.

I never ate wildebeest before.

Laureline, Itzak, and I cut up the meat with our knives.

Wildebeest meat did not taste that bad, though I suppose it would taste better with spices and marinade and Memphis-style barbecue sauce, which we did not have access to at the moment.

"Do you ever hunt?" asked Laureline.

"Oh no," I said. "I heard farmers on the mainland in the Commonwealth have to shoot predators to protect their livestock. We humans can't hunt for food there. The native fauna of Planet Glorie has arsenic as an essential nutrient. Arsenic's a lot more poisonous to us than to scalies."

"My family just bought food from the commissary," said Gabe. "They wouldn't know how to hunt. They'd probably starve to death if stranded in the wilderness here."

"Once we're done," said Laureline, "we'll have to get a move on. We're not safe out here in the open."

I could not disagree. After eating the wildebeests , we buried the remains so that the Purifier militia could not track us. We had to use our naked eyes just to ride around; with the stars above providing light, as well as lights from distant settlements.

"We should be nearby," said Laureline. "There should be a hiding spot for the dayrtime."

Laureline guided us. We drove around for maybe twenty minutes or so.

"Here it is."

Laureline shone this flashlight into a cave of some sort. A rat opened its eyes widely, and scurried.

"Will we be safe here?" asked Itzak.

Laureline used the flashlight to scan the ground. "No human footprints," she said. "We can rest here."

And so we did. We kept an eye out to the cave entrance. The inside was dark, all all we saw of each other were silhouettes.

"How did you know about this cave?" asked Gabe.

"it's where I had when the Purifiers first came to my village."

"Then this cave," I said. "Your brother."

"Yes," replied Laureline. "His final resting place."

That story still brought me to tears. For something like that to happen…was unthinkable. Not even my dad's stories about the First Robotech War felt as horrible.

"I don't…I don't have any pictures of him, or my mother and father. Every day my memories of how they look fade. If I can't remember what they looked like…would I forget them?"

"I…don't know," said Itzak.

"What about you?" she asked me. "I mean, your parents were from Earth, right?"

"Yes," I replied.

"And yet they left home."

"it is a long story. Anyway, my dad was a passenger on an airplane. It landed at the airport in Macross City. He was there for a three-hour layover. The Zentraedi attacked and he was evacuated to a shelter when the SDF-1 _Macross_ executed the hyperspace fold that took it far from Earth."

"I heard that in school," said Itzak. "Teacher told the story in fun way."

"Dad was among tens of thousands of civilians stranded aboard," I continued. "He joined the U.N. Spacy. He became a pilot of those first generation veritechs. He served in Skull Squadron, under this war hero- Ray Focker, I think his name was. After the war, he met Mom. They married and had my older sister about twenty-seven years ago. He decided to be one of the colonists on Glorie colony. He was eligible because he was a veteran of the SDF-1 Campaign. I was born on the planet, on this island called Santoso Island, just a short hover ferry ride from the mainland."

"Interesting," said Laureline.

"I don't have pictures of them on me right now."

"You should hear my story," said Gabe.

"What is it?" asked Itzak.

"My dad's a Zentraedi," said Gabe. "He was one of the original defectors back during the SDF-1 Campaign."

"Why would he do that?" asked Laureline. "Defect?"

"He learned about the cultures of the people of Earth. Their songs and their music and males and females mingling together. So he got micronized and then snuck into one of those battle pods during an attempt to capture the ship.

"He was inspired to defend this society he chose to join, so he enlisted in the Space Marines. Because of his prior experience with the Zentraedi, he was enlisted as a corporal."

"Where is he now?" asked Laureline.

"Last I heard, he was a Command Sergeant Major," answered Gabe.

"Amazing," I said. "Our dads were on the opposite sides of that war."

"If you say so," said Laureline. "My mother too, was Zentraedi. She was from the stars. She arrived here after the war. She enjoyed the culture of the natives here.

"But even though she enjoyed all the culture, she still wanted to fight."

"A lot of Zentraedi could not give up fighting in those first few years on Earth," said Gabe. "Even my dad wanted to fight which was one of the reasons he enlisted."

"Sadly, there was plenty of conflict in central Africa thirty years ago, as there is now. My mother volunteered in one of the ethnic wars, like many of her Zentraedi friends."

"Was that…a bad thing?" I asked.

"Those wars were just as brutal as the wars here," answered Laureline. "and she fought in those wars. How many children did she kill?"

"Should you talk about that?" asked Itzak.

"Was what happened to our family God's judgment for that? For taking part of killing defenseless families, was it His Judgment to kill her family, leaving only behind a daughter who had to suffocate her baby brother to survive?"

"The Zentraedi at the time could not have known about the history behind that war," protested Gabe.

"Should that matter?" Laureline asked in reply. "We'd better discuss the situation. We can not stay in this cave forever."

"I don't know," I said. "this cave feels cozy."

"any ideas?" asked Gabe.

"If you just wish to hide on Earth, we can head to Nairobi or Dar es Salaam," said Laureline. "We'll have to sneak past an Invid blockade, though just the four of us would be much more difficult for them to spot than hundreds of refugees. You should be able to find work, maybe sell that Cyclone. "

"And what if I want tio continue fighting the Invid?"

"Both Nairobi and Dar es Salaam are in Invid-allied territory. It is unlikely that any submarines still fighting the Invid would stop there, even if they heard a radio transmission from someone claiming to be a survivor from that battle above. Therecould be another way."

"What?"

"The Nile. The Nile River."

I had heard of that river, mostly from Bible stories.

"It starts in Lake Victoria…"

"Victoria?" asked Gabe. "That names sounds different from the names I heard here."

"Lake Victoria was named after an empress who reigned over half the Earth," said Laureline. "Anyway, the Nile flows out of Victoria, near the city of Jinja, in Purifier territory. If we had a raft or barge, we can sail north. The Nile flows for about six thousand two hundred eighty klicks, until it empties into the Mediterranean Sea on the coast of Egypt."

"There must be a catch."

"Not much is known about the land north of Khartoum. The rulers of Khartoum are neutral; there have been smugglers traveling up and down the Nile between there and Jinja. We know that there are people in Egypt, but we don't know if they are allied with the Invid, or even if they would just kill us or take our stuff. Still, if you want to link up with a Resistance sub, going north on the Nile to the Mediterranean is your best chance."

"So many decisions and I'm only a third lieutenant," said Gabe. "Can't imagine the decision making Admiral Hunter had to do."

"Maybe we should sleep on it?" asked Itzak.

We all went to sleep.

oooooooooo

I had dreams.

Dreams of the village, my home, on fire.

Of the Invid and the Purifier militia walking around.

Of Han Sang and Tatsunoko Mimiko calling out to me from beyond the grave.

Of Planet Glorie, occupied by the Invid.

Oooooo

I woke up and yawned. I knew instantly there would be no bagels nor scrambled eggs nor bacon to eat.

"Everyone all right?" I asked.

"Still hungry," said Itzak.

"Have you decided?" Laureline asked Gabe.

Gabe stepped just outside the entrance to the cave.

"Let me tell you how I got into the Aerospace Academy," he said. "My dad was in the Space Marines."

"Yeah, you mentioned he was one of the original defectors," I said.

"He fought with the Wolf Pack during the Evacuation of Earth, when we were getting people and equipmen t out in to space to continue the war with the Regency," said Gabe. "His hovertank was out of ammo, so my dad kept the Invid distracted, even going into the thick of it. After everyone was in the evacuation pod, he managed to get inside. He had been wounded, and it took half a year for him to recover. I remember visiting him at the U.N. Spacy Hospital on Planet Glorie. Even as he lay in bed, he told us to pray for those who had been stranded, including his CO."

I would have been what, eight years old at the time?

"Anyway," continued Gabe, "he recovered. He went back to active duty. The Plenipotentiary Council awarded him the Medal of Honor. And that is how I got into the Academy. Children of Medal of Honor receipents are guaranteed an appointment if they qualify academically. 

"I originally considered going to the private sector as a merchant ship officer. But I accepted an offer for an active duty commission in the Space Marines. I remember when my dad saluted me after the Commissioning Ceremony. And now that is why I am stuck here on Earth, sleeping in a cave."

"Well, I chose the private sector after graduating from my academy, and well…I'm here with you."

"My dad risked all to help the people of the society he adopted," said Gabe. "I accepted a lieutenant's commission in the Marines because I wanted to do the same thing. We're going to Lake Victoria, we;'ll find a boat, and sail down the Nile!"

It sounded as good of a plan as any I have heard.

"I'll go with you," said Laureline.

"What about your fight against the Purifiers?" I asked.

"It's over," said Laureline. "I swore to destroy them after what happened to my brother. But there's no way to do that now. Our Coalition is gone. There's nothing more I can do in this part on Earth. But maybe helping Gabe get in contact with others fighting against the Invid, that is something I can do. And the Purifiers trade the Flower of Life to the Invid Regency in exchange for protoculture. Maybe if we succeed in driving the Regency off Earth…."

"I'll go too," said Itzak.

"Sure thing, buddy," replied Gabe.

I felt excited. We had a new goal.


	13. Lake Cruise

"That's the lake," said Laureline.

I could see the outline of a lake. The silhouette of a giant crashed spaceship extended from the water; probably from the war over thirty years ago. The light sources were from a nearby town as well as boats on the lake.

We all had to sneak to the shore after dark. Driving the Cyclones around here in broad daylight would just be screaming for the authorities here.

We snuck to all the way to the shore. Itzak shone a low intensity flashlight. I saw the dim light shining upon the waters of Lake Victoria.

Laureline pointed to the right. "Jinja..and the Nile, are that way," she said.

We drove over to the village. There were very few people walking about. It was very similar to _the_ Village, not a place with an active nightlife like Primopolis or Tiresia. I saw the outline of a church maybe a few dozen meters down the paved main street, and maybe half a klick further down I saw the minarets of a mosque.

I could see the silhouettes of boats by the dock.

"Us ladies would arouse less suspicion," I said to Gabe.

"itzak and I will stay and watch the bikes," he said.

Laureline and I snuck up to the docks. There were several boats docked in there, tied by ropes. The dock itself was made of wooden planks. I saw the outline of a large boat, large enough to fit all of our bikes.

"We should take this one," I said.

"No, that is a fishing boat," replied Laureline. "Families depend on that for their livelihood. Our only enemies here are the militia and the Invid."

"Well, maybe they have insurance," I said.

We needed to find another boat. We looked around the other boats, but Laureline did not want to steal a civilian boat.

I looked towards the lake. I could see a boat flying a flag that had a red background.

The Purifier flag.

Laureline looked through a pair of binoculars. "Militia lake patrol," she said.

I took a closer look. I could see silhouettes of people on board. "the boat looks big enough."

I then heard someone. It did not sound like Gabe nor Itzak.

I looked and saw a dark man. He was in some sort of uniform. He shone a flashlight at us.

Laureline approached him and said something. From the tone of her voice, I could hear she was trying to defuse the situation.

She then had the guy in a headlock. They struggled for a bit, and then he was down.

I ran up to him and checked his pulse.

He was still alive.

"He was just a watchman," said Laureline. "He wasn't militia on active duty."

We went back and retrieved our bikes. Then we drove back to the dock.

"We will take the milita'zs patrol boat and use it to reach the Nile," said Laureline.

"How will we get there?" asked Gabe.

"We'll use this boat here," she said, referring to the fishing boat we refused to take just a few minutes ago.

"But I thought we were not stealing this boat," I said.

"We not stealing it," said Itzak. "We just borrowing it."

We all put our bikes on the boat, being careful not to damage anything. We removed the rope tying the fishing boat to the dock. I stood outside, glancing at the stars as they appeared over Earth, briefly wondering which one of them was the sun around which Planet Glorie revolved.

Then the boat started moving along the waters of Lake Victoria, away from the dock.

I looked and saw the patrol boat. I was wearing my Cyclone in its armor mode. Either Laureline or Gabe were sterring the fishing boat towards the Purifiers' patrol boat.

They both walked out onto the deck. They were both wearing the Cyclone armor. I could see the patrol boat shining its light on the fishing boat that we borrowed.

We glanced at each other. I then glanced at Itzak, who was sitting ion top of his Suzuki motorcycle.

Gabe gave the signal.

Using our booster, we flew to the patrol boat. There were some crewmen, and we shot them before they could ready their weapons. We quickly took over the bridge.

The crew of this boat, nor their commanders, could have anticipated a raid by three people wearing Cyclones, especially given their victory over the Coalition just days ago.

We threw the dead overboard. There were two survivors- a man and a woman. They could not have been older than I was. We tied them up.

They and Laureline had a conversation. The man went to a console and spoke into a microphone.

"If his fellow milita comes to this boat, he dies," said Laureline. She brandished some sort of pistol to accentuate the point.

She then leaned over to a female captive, who was still tied up. Laureline placed her hand on top of her nose and mouth and started singing.

It sounded like a lullaby. For some reason, it sounded soothing.

I looked at the lady. I could see the terror in her eyes.

After a few minutes, her eyes closed. Laureline kept her hand over the lady's motubh and nose.

Even before I checked the captive's pulse, I knew her eyes would never open again.

I briefly remembered what happened at that camp. She, and the others, did not deserve any better.

L:aureline finished by cutting her left forearm.

The remaining captive looked really terrified.

I stepped outside the boat to get some fresh air. I coukld see the waters of Lake Victoria. In the distance I saw lights.

"that is Jinja, on the head of the Nile River," said Laureline.

I looked through a pair of binoculars. I could see towers with electric lights. Jinja was not as big as Primopolis, nor Tiresia, but still, it was not some countryside village.

I did see something else, to the left of the city. There was this spherical, structure on top of a tower.

Was that an Invid garrison?

I went back into the boat's bridge. The remaining captive was speaking ion to the radio, with Laureline jamming the barrel of a pistol against the militiaman's back.

He spoke something. I heard a voice from the speaker.

"We will spare him if the Purifiers let us through," said Laureline.

I stayed as the city of Jinja approached closer and closer. I could see the lights from a lighthouse. I briefly wondered what the city is like, what it was like for people to live there.

I went back inside the boat's cabin. We waited.

I heard the captive militiaman say something over the radio.

Would the Purifiers send a commando team or something to retake the boat?

Or would they simply fire on us with their guns?

My heart was racing. I looked outside, seeing the silhouette of a dock with boats.

I could sense the tension from Gabe, Laureline, and Itzak.

We sailed under a bridge, a bridge from where soldiers could open fire on us.

I went outside and glanced back. No one was following us.

I went back inside the bridge.

"We seem to be safe," said Gabe.

We all knew we could not let our guard down.

"We will spare this man's life," said Laureline. "Let's take care of him."

And so we stripped him naked, removing his camouflage, his undershirt, and his boxers. We then carried him to the edge and heaved him off the boat. I could see him thrashing in the water.

It was then that I noticed that the air smelled really foul. I quickly went inside, covering my nose and mouth.

"what is that smell?" I asked.

Gabe went outside and ran back in. "Smells disgusting," he said.

"Raw sewage," said Laureline. "The city must dump raw sewage in the Nile."

"That makes sense, if the Nile carries the sewage thousands of klicks north."

"What about that guy we threw into the water?" asked Itzak.

"He may live long enough to meet his great grandchildren, or he can become crocodile food," answered Laureline. "Either way, he is not our problem anymore."

"Still, we did throw him into raw sewage," said Gabe. "The ladies aren't gonna want to be around him for a while."

"Perhaps we should take care of our other guest," said Laureline, pointing to the dead lady.

I held my breath, and picked up the dead soldier. I heaved her corpse overboard and into the sewage-saturated water. I noticed some shadows flying through the night sky.

"Invid!" I heard Itzak yell.

Gabe got out of the bridge of the boat. "We must have breached their blockade," he said. "Okay, team, let's suit up!"

And so we did. I made sure my Cyclops power armor was securely fastened.

The shapes got closer, and there was no mistake that they were the mecha of the Invid Regency, with their clawed arms and legs.

My heart was racing. I knew that these Invid would not just let us pass.

One of them fired a shot, striking the water a few meters from us.

I returned fire.

We had to take them down or drive them off.

There was not much room to maneuver, as we could not afford to lose the boat.

This was like an on-the-rails shooter, except there were no continues and no reset button.

I glanced to my right and noticed Gabe had joined me. We both fired at the Invid. At least two of them were knocked down.

"they seem to be trying too hard," said Gabe.

We kept firing at them. At least two of them fell.

There was this one mecha. We had to keep firing at it. It launched missiles that we kept shooting down.

This guy was sure persistent!

And he was closing in!

At point blank range, we would lose the boat.

I then saw a blast. The Invid mecha was staggered. I glanced and saw Itzak, holding as rocket launcher!

Gabe and I fired at the mecha, but it flew away before we could put it down for good.

"You all right?" asked Itzak.

"Yeah," I replied.

"They not coming back."

"For now," said Gabe.

ooooooooo

I stirred awake after a good night's sleep. Earth's sun was just above the horizon.

"Good morning, sunshine," said Gabe.

I did not need to ask Gabe nor Laureline to know that we were out of the reach of the Purifiers.

But the Invid Regency was like a looming shadow over us.


	14. The Newbies

The water was still warm as I drank it. I still miss those days when clean, drinkable water was easy to come by. Now we had to boil the water to make sure it was safe to drink.

How many days has it been since we started sailing down the Nile?

We were on this lake, which Laureline called Kyoga. I noticed large patches of plants covering the lake. Most of our food came from hunting these animals called crocodiles, which had scales and really short legs and a long snout. We also had some fish.

I was glad the sewage smell was gone; each breath of air smelled sweet. There was this huge green patch where the Nile emptied into Kyoga, no doubt due to the raw sewage acting as fertilizer for all of the aquatic flora.

There were of course other boats on this Lake Kyoga, mostly fishermen. They all kept their distance, no doubt due to the fifty caliber machine gun on the boat.

"We will need to find the outlet for this lake if we are to continue along the Nile," said Laureline.

We kept searching for this outlet. We went to the mouths of several rivers, but the sticks we threw showed that the rivers we found flowed into the lake so far.

Itzak stood up and pointed.

"Invid!" he yelled.

"Where?" asked Gabe.

I looked in that direction.

I could see some distant explosions.

"Laureline, you and I will check it out," said Gabe.

They got on their Cyclones and rode in the direction of the battle. I hoped they would both be safe, and Itzak hoped so as well. I listened over the radio.

"We have friendlies here," I heard Laureline say. "Cyclones and Garlands."

In the distance I can see explosions. I was in my Cyclone armor, prepared for an Invid attack on our boat. I could also hear explosions over the radio.

I kept waiting and waiting, hearing the combat over the radio. I kept dreading what I might hear.

A few minutes later, I saw the Invid Regency's mecha fly away. I gripped the butt of my weapon, in case they decided to fly my way.

I breathed a sigh of relief as they flew in another direction.

Then my heart almost stopped when I heard another transmission.

"Laureline's down," said Gabe. "They're gonna take her for treatment. I'm goping with them. One of them will be heading in your direction."

"I copy," I replied, in shock over what I just heard.

Itzak looked at me.

I saw a two vehicles approach. Looking through my binoculars, they were hoverbikes of some sort. I could see the drivers on top, clad in armor.

One of the hovercycles transformed, encasing its rider in a battloid, like a hover version of the GR-002 Garland.

The driver of the other hover Garland removed his helmet, revealing a head of brown hair and his face was paler than most of the faces I saw in the Serengeti.

I introduced myself.

"Major Barnes, UNSM," he said. "I am under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Eli Wheatley. We're taking your friends to our base."

"We have to stay with the boat," I said.

"That's okay," I heard Gabe say over the radio.

"Okay, take us to your base," I said to the major.

I transformed my Cyclone into cycle mode, and Itzak got onto his motorcycle. We followed the two Garlands. I could feel the air blow by me.

We drove for a few minutes, through this forest. We finally reached this clearing. There were some makeshift buildings, and this huge building that must have been an old Zentraedi re-entry pod. Electric wires were strung between the buildings.

"Come on in," said the major.

I went inside the main entrance. I enrtered what appeared to be a lobby, if the desks and tables and chairs were made up of scavenged materials.

"Nice place," I said.

"We try to make the best of it," replied Barnes. "There is trade along the Nile, even with the Invid opening fire on anyone who breaches the blockades."

I recalled my own experiences with that.

"There you guys are," said Gabe, emerging from a hallway."

"Is Laureline okay?" I asked.

"She just needs to heal up," replied Gabe. "Let me take you two to see her."

And so he did. Itzak and I walked through some corridors; they had metal bulkheads. People in short-sleeved shirts passed us by.

We entered this small room. There were some people in there. I saw a young man, not older than me, with hair the color of sand and pale skin. There was a dark man with tightly-curled black hair, who must have been at least a decade older than me.

And, lying down on a bed with white sheets, was Laureline.

"Hi there," she said to us.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Being shot by the Invid really hurts."

"I am glad you're okay," said Itzak.

"Our patient will recover," said the dark-skinned man, his English heavily accented.

"And you are a doctor?" I asked.

"I am not a doctor, technically speaking," he replied. "I am Alazar Aboudi. I was a sergeant and combat medic in the Air Force Medical Corps. I had been attached to the 3rd Special Forces group of the Southern Cross."

I introduced myself.

"Nice to meet you, Doc," said Gabe. "They call Air Force medics Doc, right? I know that Spacy corpsmen are called 'Doc'."

"Yes, I was called Doc."

"Anyway, I am Third Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines. I was a VFA-6 veritech pilot with Titan Squadron."

"We heard about the battle above," said Doc. "Laureline did tell me your story."

"I do want to meet Colonel Wheatley," said Gabe. "If I am to fight the Invid Regency, I will need to work with a larger group."

"How about we talk?"

I looked and saw a blond-haired man in a short sleeve shirt and slacks, appearing to be in his forties- about ten or so years younger than my dad.

"and you are?" I asked.

"Lieutenant Colonel Eli Wheatley, U.N. Space Marines," he replied. "I was XO of the 25th Regiment. My regiment was with the Expeditionary Forces, then we were reassigned here under the Robotech Defense Forces in fighting the Masters. I was stranded here, in eastern Africa, after the Evacuation of Earth."

"It's good to meet you, sir," said Gabe.

"I heard who you said you are, Lieutenant Gashtar," replied Wheatley.

"Doc has taken good care of Laureline."

"And your friends here?"

I introduced myself. "I was a, engineering officer on the Golden Eagle, a privateering ship for Trans Galactic; the company has a letter of marque and reprisal from the Plenipotentiary Council against the Invid Regency."

"Invid Regency? So that's what they're called now. Why don't I take you all for a drink?"

"As in alcohol?" I asked.

"Why, yes," replied the colonel.

We left the main building going into the hot, humid air; I could smell the moisture. We wenr into this little building with corrugated steel walls. I could hear an air conditioner humming.

"Ouir air conditioning technicians are indispensable," said Wheatley.

I looked around. The place was dimly lit, with two pool tables and a jukebox. There was a bar, and a man with an olive complexion stood behind the bar, wearing a short sleeve white shirt with a black bowtie.

"Que pasa?" he asked.

"Hola," replied Gabe.

"Get our guests a drink," said Colonel Wheatley.

"Yes, sir."

It was not long before I tasted that sweet taste of alcohol. It had been too long since I have had a proper drink. Apparently, since Aresburg.

Aresburg felt so far away.

Gabe started talking about himself, about how he crashed to Earth and met up with me and Itzak and Laureline.

"What have you heard about the Invid?" asked the colonel. "I haven't received a transmission from off planet in twelve years.:"

"Well, sir, basically, we've been fighting them for well over a decade," said Gabe. "They were one of the enemies of the Robotech Masters, who sent the Zentraedi to destroy their homeworld and the Flowers of Life that grew there. The Invids' current ruler is the Regent. He came to power after the Zentraedi attack; I don't know if he was the legitimate heir, or just planted his ass on the throne in the chaotic aftermath. They were hiding out in space until the Masters grew weak when the protoculture started to run out. Our expeditionary forces were caught in the crossfire."

"Makes sense," said the colonel. "The Masters sure kept the rest of the galaxy in the dark. None of the intel from the Zentraedi indicated that protoculture came from the Invid home world."

"If you do not mind answering, sir, have you heard from other units that are fighting the Regency?"

"We've had sporadic communications," replied Wheatley. "The Invid have been jamming long range radio communications, and even when we make radio contact, our ability to verify what was said over the air is rather limited. There are others out there, that much I know. "

"Any examples, sir?" asked Gabe, sipping a red drink.

"Jonathan," answered the colonel. "Colonel Jonathan Wolff."

"You mean the leader of the Wolf Pack?" asked Gabe, standing up. "My dad served in the Wolf Pack."

"What is your father's name?"

"Walera. Walera Gashtar. He was one of the original Zentraedi defectors; I can't believe that was over thirty years ago! After defecting, he enlisted in the Space Marines as a corporal. He actually served under Colonel Wolff during the Evacuation of Earth. I know Colonel Wolff was listed missing. But he's still alive on Earth?"

"Before I answer that, Gashtar, how is your father doing?"

"Last I spoke with him, he was a command sergeant major. Allow me."

He took out a locket and this hologram appeared of a man in his fifties, who looked a little like Gabe. He was dressed in camouflage. His hair was purple.

"Be brave, son," said the image.

"I see," said Wheatley. "As for Wolff, he is somewhere in South America, fighting the Invid. Exactly where, he did not say, for many reasons."

"South America?" asked Gabe, who was as unfamiliar with the name as I was.

"A continent across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa, far west of here."

"It will be a long time if I ever cross paths with Colonel Wolff," said Gabe. "Unless the Expeditionary Forces defeat the Invid Regency tonight."

We all had a laugh.

And yet, in the back of my mind, the possibility that our Expeditionary Fleet and our allies had been wiped out by the Regency still lurked. I might not have a home to go back to.

"Well, Gashtar," said Colonel Wheatley, "as commander of this outfit, I have many duties. I must go attend to these other duties. Still, Lieutenant, our little chat here was a welcome break from the routine we have here."

"Thank you for your time, sir," replied Gabe.

"You are welcome, Gashtar."

The colonel walked away.

"He doesn't trust us yet," said Gabe.

"I don't blame him," I said. "If he trusted everyone right away, the Invid would have destroyed this place years ago."

"I'll see if we could all spend at least a night here."

Ooooooooooo

Memories surfaced in my dreams.

I was in the halls of a school.

I heard boys in their mid teens laughing. Other than being male and in their mid teens, their features were indeterminate.

One of them made a pumping motion with his fist.

"Lovely nipples," one of them said.

"Can I go to that party up your thighs?"

"Can I kiss your lips? The ones down there, I mean."

I woke up. I could not believe those memories, even after a few years and so many light-years. Still breathing heavily from that nightmare. I drifted to sleep.

I woke up in a new place, which has been my experience for so many days now, ever since the Purifiers attacked that village I was staring at, in their major offensive to seize control of the region of the Earth called the Serengeti.

"You're awake," said Itzak as I saw him.

I looked around this room. There were some sleeping bags. Aside from that nightmare from those memories long ago, I had a good night's sleep.

"Rise and shine," said Gabe, entering the room, dressed in a sleeveless shirt and slacks. "Sweet dreams."

"Part of it, at least," I replied.

A young man entered the room, dressed similarly to Gabe, except that he had slightly paler skin and hair the color of mahogany.

"The colonel has breakfast ready for you in his private mess, sir," he said.

"Chow time," said Gabe.

And so we went there.

After walking through some hallways, we entered the colonel's private mess, which was a small dining room with a dining table. It was not as elaborate as the officers' mess on board the _Golden Eagle_.

Doc Alazar Aboudi wheeled Laureline in, who was sitting in a wheelchair.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I will get better," I said.

"She was lucky she was not hurt too bad," replied Doc. "We do not have a hospital here."

"I will be with my guests, Doc," said Lieutenant Colonel Eli Wheatley, wearing a short- sleeve camouflage shirt.

"Yes, sir," replied Doc.

We all sat and had a basic breakfast of eggs and potato and bacon.

"We do have hydroponic facilities here," said the colonel.

"This food tastes good, sir," said Gabe.

"We've had over ten years to practice cooking."

We continued eating our breakfast, talking about our experience ever since I crashed landed on Earth so long ago.

"I have considered things over night," said Wheatley. "I will let you and your crew join mine."

"What convinced you, sir?" asked Gabe.

"I knew your father. Served with him in Space Station Liberty. I was a major and Walera Gashtar was a gunny back then and we both had desk jobs."

"Sounds exciting."

"Well, the Pioneer Mission needed people like us behind our desks to ensure they had enough fuel and food and medicine. Of course, I clearly was later reassigned to a combat post, and here I am."

"Thank you for this breakfast, sir."

We all nodded.

"Don't expect this to be a regular occurrence, Gashtar. There's work to be done."


	15. The Story of Hob

"This is our situation," said Major Barnes, pointing at a Mercator projection of Earth.

We were in this small room which I guess was used as a briefing room. Aside from the map, there were some stools. I could see pins where the major had told us of known resistance groups.

"There are so many out there," continued the major. "Macbeth. The People's Army. Eve. Poseidon. Yellow Dancer. The Blue Skulls. Point K. Seal Team Six."

"And situations can change drastically," said Gabe. "Who knows who among them are still alive, sir?"

"The one thing reassuring about you crash landing here is that we know that the Expeditionary Forces were still keeping the Invid at bay," said Barnes. "I shudder to think what would happen if more Invid arrived from space. I was wondering, Lieutenant Gashtar, what was your plan before you found us?"

"I was planning to sail up the Nile until I could contact a submarine," he said.

"Is that so?" asked Barnes. "Take a look at the map." The major pointed at the northeast corner of the continent named Africa. I looked and saw thios corner was called Suez, which connected it to Asia.

"With Asia and Africa on two sides, and the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea on two other sides, the Invid would definitely put up a fortress there."

"Yeah, that makes sense," said Gabe. "I would have to go a few hundred klicks west where the Nile empties into the ocean here." He took a look at the map. "Reflex Point is here, right?"

I looked and he pointed at a spot on the continent labeled North America. He then traced a path.

"Well, it should be possible to travel on land from here all the way to Reflex Point, only crossing the ocean here." Gabe pointed to this strait between the oceans labeled Pacific and Arctic; it was called the Bering Strait. "the Invid would have a fortress at this Bering Strait, no doubt."

"You are learning," said Barnes. "But even if you and your little crew had reached Reflex Point, managing to avoid the Invid along the way, what do you think you could have done? Just throw rocks at it?"

"I had not thought that far. Maybe there's a larger group operating there."

"You were only commissioned less than a year ago. You have a lot to learn about being an officer in the Space Marines."

"Well, sir, I'm glad to be part of a larger team."

Ooooooooooo

"And that should do it," I said.

I handed the wrench to Itzak and looked at the Strike Garland in its cycle mode. I looked at the GR-002A Strike Garland. It did not take long for me to understand how the hover mechanisms work.

Itzak and I were inside the garage. There was no air conditioning and the garage was stuffy. But working on the mechanical things at least distracted me from the discomfort. I had become familiar with the general layout over the past few days, with the various vehicles, the cabinets and shelves with all sorts of tools. I definitely was putting my education to use.

Fixing things kept me from thinking about other things.

I heard Gabe call out my name.

"We just took down an elephant," said Gabe.

I had become familiar with that term; elephants were those giant beasts that had trampled a whole company of Purifier militia. It seemed so long ago.

"I'm almost done here," I said.

"Anyway, the colonel decided to throw a party for us!"

"Great," I said. "I'll just wrap things up here."

And so I did, making my report to this beefy sergeant. I then went outside, to where the party was.

It was not as hot as it was at noontime. I could still smell the humidity. So many people were around. I noticed Gabe outside. Music was being played.

I could smell something being cooked.

"What is that?" asked Itzak.

"Elephant," said Gabe. "Barbecue elephant."

"Elephant?" I asked.

"Yeah, it was those giant beasts on that stampede a few days ago. Major Barnes led us on a hunting expedition. I mean, unlike the Invid, we can't eat protoculture."

I looked at a stainless steel grill, hearing the sizzling of the meat, and smoke rising from it. I could smell the meat; it incited hunger from within me. I could feel my mouth water.

And soon, the meat was served on these metal plates. I lined up and the cook, a lady in overalls, used a long fork to serve me some elephant meat.

I ate some of the meat. It was okay. I suppose it would have been better with some barbecue sauce along with corn on the cob.

"Tastes good," said Gabe. "I wish my dad could barbecue this."

"Your dad barbecues?" I asked.

"Yeah, he did that for a couple of decades."

"So did mine. I grew up on a farm. We once cooked pulled pork. We had pigs on the property, so we cooked the natural stuff, not the stem cell stuff."

"Yeah, most of the stuff my dad barbecued were the stem cell meats. There is some native livestock on Tirol, edible for human consumption."

I turned my head and saw Laureline, clad in a sleeveless blouse and shorts, walking with crutches.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I did not want to lie around in bed all day," she replied. "I need to spend time with the others if we are all going to be working alongside them."

"I hope my patient feels better," said Doc, sipping a drink. "You need to practice walking to get your strength back."

I looked and saw Itzak, smiling as he ate barbecued elephant.

And so I mingled with the others.

"We have to cultivate good relations with the locals," said this auburn-haired lady named Jean, eating a slice of elephant meat. "We've invited a few of them here, and sometimes we share information. The Flower does not grow here; the nearest place with mass cultivation is the Lake Victoria area to the south. But if the locals think we're a threat, they might throw their lot with the Invid."

"Attention!" I heard Colonel Wheatley say. Everyone at the party paid attention to their commanding officer. He introduced us,. "Lieutenant Gashtar and his crew will be part of our team, part of our family. We celebrate our newcomers."

The others in the crowd cheered.

"Welcome to the team," said Major Barnes.

"Thank you, sir," replied Gabe.

oooooooooo

Things have settled into a routine. I appreciated what passed for luxuries here, including hot showers, three hot meals a day, cold drinks, indoor sleeping, albeit in a sleeping bag.

"How are things going?" asked Laureline as she walked into the garage.

"Just being Miss Fix-It Girl here," I said. I looked at her. "You're walking around without crutches."

"I am ready to get back in business."

"And I just tuned up your Cyclone."

"Really? Thanks."

"It did not take too much damage during your fight with the Invid."

"How about we go for a ride?"

"Sure" I replied.

And so we did. There was this clearing where we tested and trained in the various mecha like the Cyclones and Garlands. I enjoyed the feel of the wind as Laureline and I drove around. We made sure to test the transformation mechanisms, transforming between the cycle and armor modes.

I then heard someone drive up. Turning my head, I saw three Cyclones. One of the Cyclone drivers lifted the visor on his helmet.

"Gabe!" I said, recognizing him.

"How about a little game here?" he said.

I looked and saw one of the other Cyclone drivers hold some paintball rifles, which were used for competitive training.

"I'd have to repaint these Cyclones," I answered. I looked around. "I'm in."

"I shall play too," said Laureline.

And so we did. We all drove around the clearing. We had these paintball rifles and tried to tag each other with balls of paint. I thought I managed to score a hit against one of the guys.

Then something obscured my field of vision.

"I got you there," I heard Gabe call out.

I went to the sidelines and watched as the others tried to tag each other with the paintballs.

Laureline walked over to me.

"You lasted longer than I have," I said.

Someone rode up on a motorcycle and signaled to us.

"There's a memorial service," he said.

Some of the Cyclone drivers lifted up their visors. I could see sad look on their faces.

Oooooooooo

"Gunnery Sergeant Singh gave it his all these past eleven years," said Colonel Wheatley. "And just today, he gave all, on a recon mission. He made sure the rest of his team managed to come back."

We all stood on what was called the parade grounds- basically, the outdoor area of the base. I had seen Gunnery Sergeant Singh once or twice. He was a man with black hair and a close-cropped black beard, very businesslike. But I guess it came with the territory of being a gunnery sergeant.

Wheatley and Barnes and a few others seemed very sad.

"My dad was a gunny when Earth was evacuated," said Gabe. "my squadron had a few gunnies; they were essential in making sure our Alphas and Betas were in top shape."

"How many have to die?" asked Itzak.

Ooooooooooo

The water buffalo meat was spicy.

I threw a stick into a trash receptacle made from an aluminum drum. A couple of us went to this village in a Humvee. The village here was made of wooden buildings. A wooden palisade wall surrounded the village, and there were armed watchmen manning the towers.

There was a fair going on. All sorts of people were in attendance; most of them in simple clothes. One of the people from the base greeted the villagers. A live band on a wooden stage played music from various types of instruments. Various foods were being served, including the barbecued wildebeest I just ate.

"Nice atmosphere," I said.

I could see Itzak smiling as he ate barbecued wildebeest.

"How do you like it?" I asked.

"Tastes hot," he answered.

"I hope you're enjoying yourselves," said Major Barnes as he walked towards us.

"We are," replied Laureline, sipping some sort of alcoholic beverage made from the juice of some fruit. "Look at the children."

I could see children running around, some of them holding toys made up of straw.

"They hardly notice the Invid domination," said Doc.

"At least things are relatively peaceful now," said Barnes. "There's been too much death, too much sadness as it is. I served under a guy who once lived in this part of the world."

"Really?" asked Gabe.

"He…I called him Hob; I could never pronounce his full name correctly," said the major. "shortly after he was born, just less than fifty years ago, this region was in chaos. There were wars all over Earth."

"I heard about those wars," said Doc. "My father fought in those wars when he was just shy of manhood."

"There was ethnic warfare here. Hob's family was slaughtered because they were from the wrong tribe."

"That's sad about your friend," I said. It reminded me too much of what I had witnessed weeks ago.

"he was found and adopted by this family from the tribe that killed his family."

"Adopted?" asked Itzak. "Like I was?"

There was a sad look on the major's face. "I hope not," he said. "What they did to Hob…it should not have happened to any child."

There was this silence among us, drowning out the noise of the fair.

"What happened to him?" I asked. "You met him."

He was sixteen when he joined the Space Marines. After the first Robotech War, he accepted an officer's commission. He was actually part of the Marine landing team from the Tokugawa that landed on Planet Glorie."

"Really?" I asked. "your friend was one of the first Earth people to breathe the air there?"

"Yeah. Anyway, I met him over twenty years ago. We were stationed at Camp McMurdock in this part of the world called Pennsylvania before we were deployed on board the SDF-3 Pioneer when the Pioneer Mission started. He was a great guy. I was evern at his wedding. Married a Zentraedi lady. Exotic looking, with purple skin. When the Robotech Masters attacked Earth, Hob and I were among the thousands of Space Marines recalled to reinforce RDF Command. Well, we ended up stranded here. I ended up here and joined up with Colonel Wheatley. I was a second lieutenant at the time I was stranded. I got some 702 promotions and that's why I'm a major now."

"What happened to Hob?" asked Gabe.

"He actually ended up a few hundred klicks south, in the Lake Victoria area."

I was guessing the answer. "He's involved with those…Purifiers"?" I asked.

"He was their founder," said Major Barnes. "With his experience as a Space Marine officer, he organized a militia, providing protection even as this whole region dissolved into ethnic warfare. I managed to speak with him over the radio a few times. The Invid are what kept ujs apart. They would not even allow Hob's troops to sail north along the Nile to Kyoga."

"He must have wanted revenge," whispered Laureline. "After what was done to him so long ago."


	16. Tired of Fighting

It was night, and I could hear chirping of various bugs and birds. There were few lights. I knew that guards were manning the guard towers.

I saw Laureline squatting down along the wall of the main building.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I was thinking about what Major Barnes was saying. About that man he called Hob."

"Yeah, he founded the Purifiers. He was in command of those people that killed your family."

"Yes. I've done scouting for the Coalition soon after it was first founded. I remember being near one of the villages. I could hear a couple, playing with their baby."

"And?"

"They were from the same blood as those that killed my family. I imagined going there, restraining the parents, and smothering their baby to death right in front of them."

That sounded really creepy.

"I could have done that, and all it would have cost me was everything."

A tear flowed down her cheek.

"I know that must be painful."

"He suffered that loss. His whole family slaughtered, because they were of the wrong blood. His childhood, adopted by this family, a family of my father's blood, who did things to him that should not be done to any child. No wonder he wanted to destroy my people, after what they did to him. And his followers."

"Yeah, he did not have too much trouble finding recruits. Even women."

I lay in the sleeping area, inside my sleeping bag. Thoughts swirled through my mind as I prepared to sleep. It disturbed me how a man can turn to genocidal hatred.

Laureline burst into the berthing area, calling out my name.

"What is it" I asked, sitting up.

"There's trouble. Wheatley's requesting backup."

"And to think I was gonna catch up on my beauty sleep."

I went to the garage, suited up in my CVR-3, and drove my VR-030 Cyclone veritech motorcycle out. T I followed Major Barnes, Laureline, and a few others, who were driving Cyclones and Garlands.

"We're on our way," I heard Barnes say over the radio.

I could see flashes of light in the distance.

"We're on the retreat," I heard Wheatley say.

"Got one," I heard Gabe say.

As I got closer, I had a visual on the Invid Regency's mecha. They kept flying around, firing upon Wheatley's team. I transformed my Cyclone into its armor mode, encasing me. I fired a few bklasts at one of the enemy mecha, causing it go to down and crash intio the ground. The iothers were glad to see us.

"Fall back!" yelled the colonel. "Everyone fall back!"

And so we did, slowly giving ground even as we did battle with the Regency's forces. Debris was kicked up from stray blasts.

Suddenly, more enemy reinforcements arrived, cutting us off from our escape.

"We're surrounded!" yelled Barnes.

We all held our weapons.

Was this the end?

The end of our story?

"Colonel, we need to surrender," said Barnes.

"We can't surrender," replied Colonel Wheatley. "The Expeditionary Forces are counting on us."

"Too many of us have died, sir."

"We can still retreat. Anyway, I'm.."

Then I saw and heard it.

Barnes shot Wheatley in the face, at point-blank range. The colonel fell down, lying on his back.

"This is Major Barnes!" yelled Barnes. "We will surrender."

"Your surrender is accepted in the name of the Invid Regency," said this inhuman voice. It came from one of the mecha, a giant machine with two arms, two legs, and what appeared to be cannons on its shoulders.

We were all confused. Was there a way out?

"You!" yelled the Invid.

The Invid was looking at me.

I got out of the way just as it fired a blast.

Pandemonium broke out. We kept running around, firing at the Invid, while trying to conceal ourselves in the woods. I noticed that the mecha with the shoulder cannons seemed to be interested in killing me specifically.

I exchanged fire with the Invid shoulder cannon mecha. Branches and dirt were blown into the air. Several shots passed by me too close for comfort!

My heart was racing.

I managed to score a hit in the sensor eye that all Invid mecha had.

I fired a few more shots, and it flew away from me.

I joined the others to assist in the fight. Soon, enough, the Invid were driven off.

Did we really win?

We lost Colonel Wheatley.

Major Barnes lifted up his visor.

"What the Hell?" asked Gabe, aiming his weapon at the major. "You killed the colonel!"

"Listen, Gabriel," said Barnes in a calm voice, holding his hands in front of him. "So many of us have died already. Half of our original team died. I've seen young people from the surrounding villages who joined us, perish in ops against the Invid. Eleven years, Gabriel. Eleven years of death. It has to stop."

"Forcing surrender," replied Gabe. "Murder. You…you should be executed for that. But..but the United Earth Forces does not have the death penalty. The proper course of action for me would be to lock you up in a cage until a proper convening authority decides whether or not to convene a general court-martial."

"What makes you think there is still an Expeditionary Fleet out there? The Invid could have destroyed our fleet and our colonies. We may be all that is left of humanity."

I then heard a blast, and Major Barnes fell down, face first, into the ground.

I saw Laureline holding her weapon.

"I am not in United Earth Forces," she said.

Gabe kneeled down next to Colonel Wheatley's body. I knelt down see, seeing the red ruin that used to be the colonel's face.

"We will give the colonel a proper burial," said Gabe, lifting up Wheatley's body.

Ooooooooooooo

Fortunately, wse were able to return to base without further encounters with the Regency. Gabe himself dug a hole, two meters deep, and Wheatley was placed in there, dressed in full armor. Almost everyone at the base stood there, under the night sky.

Several men delivered eulogies.

"I did not know Lieutenant Colonel Eli Wheatley very well," said Gabe. "Stranded on a planet occupied by hostiles, he felt there was nothing left but fighting. Even so, he was dedicated to the well being ofnhis people. Of all humanity. "

All of us- I, Laureline, Itzak, and the others- bowed our heads.

"What now?" one of the troops asked.

"We don't have to fight," said one of the lieutenants, a man with an olive complexion. "Our fighting the Invid does nothing."

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Gabe. "What about the colonel? What about all of us who gave our lives to free the Earth!"

"I will always be grateful for his leadership. But we can not continue to fight a losing battle. Too many of us have died already."

"Yeah," said a woman. "Why can't we just make a deal with the Invid; live in peace."

"No point in fighting."

"I understand," said Itzak. "My father was killed in war over territory."

"The Invid are not just a threat to Earth. People across this galaxy are counting on us!"

The others just walked away.

There was nothing for us to do but sleep.

Oooooooooo

I woke up and heading to the mess hall. I could still see a sense of grief permeating the room. In just one night, they lost their CO and XO, and they all heard about Major Barnes's betrayal.

I can understand why so many of us did not want to fight the Invid anymore.

"I made a decision," said Gabe.

"What?"

"I…I'm going to continue fighting the Invid. I'll sail north on the Nile again. There must be another resistance group."

"When do you plan to leave?" I asked.

"This morning. It's your choice whether or not to come with me."

This was something to think about. I did find a place here, fixing things. I did not go hungry or thirsty for long. And yet, to go out there into the unknown…

"I'm with you," I said, putting my hand on Gabe's shoulder.

We all went to the shore of Lake Kyoga. I could see the green water of the lake, with fishing boats- both our own and that of our neighbors.

Anchored was the boat that Gabe and I used to sail here; we had used it for fishing a couple of times. Gabe and I loaded our Cyclones onto the deck.

I saw Laureline drive up to the shoreline.

"I shall go with you," she said.

Somehow, I knew that she would stick with us.

"And I shall go with you too."

I looked and saw Doc Alazar Aboudi. He was sitting atop a GR-02 Strike Garland Veritech Hovercycle.

"You sure you want to go, Doc?" asked Gabe.

"You are willing to fight for something, Lieutenant," replied Doc. "You are like the colonel."

"But you are the medic for these people."

"I made sure to train some people. The colonel made sure of it, in case I was injured or killed. You want to continue the fight, so I offer my services."

He embraced his chief aide. He then said goodbye to his few friends.

"Welcome to my crew, Doc," said Gabe.

I then saw Itzak, driving his Suzuki motorcycle.

Has he come to say goodbye?

"Let's go," he said.

I knelt down to make contact with him at eye level. "Are you sure you want to come with us? We don't know what's out there and it could be dangerous for a little boy like you."

"I feel like I belong with you guys," he replied.

"Itzak's family," said Gabe. "He gets to go with us."

I helped him out his bike on the deck of the boat. We- Gabe, me, Laureline, Itzak, and Doc- waved.

And then we were sailing west on the surface of Lake Kyoga, towards the Nile and a new journey.


	17. Deep and Moist

I felt the water spray against my face.

The water made this crashing sound as it fell over forty meters. This spray emerged from where the water hit the pool. There were trees and other plants growing along the side of the waterfall- called Murchison Falls- pushing the waters of the Nile through a narrow gap. Overhead, in the sky, a flock of birds flew.

There were no words as we just stood before the waterfall. It seemed like a peaceful respite. Itzak was smiling as his bare feet was soaked by the waters of the Nile.

Gabe took a deep breath.

"Time to go, people," he said.

"Awe, come on," said Laureline. "Can't we stay a little longer?"

"Can't just stick around here forever."

We traveled a few meters to where the boat was anchored. It took a hell of an effort for us to carry the boat around the falls, using these ancient, eroded roads. It certainly helped to use the power of the Cyclones and the Garland. We loaded the bikes onto the boat and then sailed down the Nile.

Oooooooooo

How long has it been since Colonel Wheatley's crew broke up and we resumed sailing the Nile? We sailed and made camp. We passed by some towns and villages. Doc recommended that we make minimal contact with the locals, not hunting or fishing near a settlement.

Gabe agreed. If they were neutral, we did not want to have them run to the Invid Regency for help against new foes.

So once again, we set anchor. We all listened with the boat's radio, finding out if any potential allies can send signals strong enough to get past the radio interference the Regency set up over the whole world.

There was a song playing, sung by a female voice.

 _The future is now_

 _There's no better time to get in line_

 _The future is here_

I looked and saw Itzak dance.

"Nice tune," said Laureline.

"I have not heard broadcast music on the radio in over ten years," said Doc.

"Well, we'd better find a camping spot, scout the area for any potential hostiles," said Gabe.

"Sure thing," I replied.

Soon enough, I was driving around on my Cyclone, through the woods. I could hear the noise from various forms of wildlife.

After a few minutes, we reached a clearing. Gabe and I transformed our Cyclones into armor mode.

I looked closely at the ground. I could see various types of animal tracks, but no human footprints nor tire treads.

"Nothing unusual here either," said Gabe. "Guys, we'll explore a little further, about one klick radi…"

And then I saw Gabe falls through the ground, as if it swallowed him.

I went after him.

We were both falling. I could not see bottom.

I looked and saw Itzak. He, too, went after Gabe.

I looked down and saw this bluish light. We passed right through it.

Gabe used his boosters to maneuver and catch Itzak.

"I got you, buddy!" he yelled. "We'd better use our boosters to slow our descent."

"Yeah, we don't want that sudden stop at the end," I replied.

I used my boosters, and I felt myself slow down.

I looked and saw the ground. It went closer and closer.

And then, I was hiovering maybe a few centimeters from the surface.

"Everyone all right?" asked Gabe.

"Yeah," replied Itzak.

I looked around. We were underground for sure. There were all sorts of plants growing out of the ground, some about ten times as tall as I was. I could hear sounds; there must be animals in here. The air felt warm, even though we were apparently underground. I could smell and taste the moisture in the air. I could see clouds high above.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Trees grow here underground without sunlight," said Itzak. "Must be some sort of light source above. But why are there clouds?"

"A really big chamber would have its own weather system," replied Gabe. "I remember a visit to space Station Liberty during my training cruise. There was this huge chamber where it was raining. Doc, Laureline, do you copy. I repeat. Doc, Laureline, do you copy?"

"They can't hear us," said Itzak.

"It seems that our radio signals can't reach the surface," said Gabe.

"Ya think," I replied.

"Well, the Marines train us to be Captain Obvious. For, well, obvious reasons."

"Doc, Laureline," I said into my own radio mic.

There was no response.

We were cut off from them.

"Look,:" said Itzak.

I looked and saw two reptiles, about the size of a large dog, each with four legs, drinking from a pool of water.

At least we had food.

I then saw some other animals. They were really large, about the size of a truck, and grayish in color. They had four legs, a head, and a tail. There were these plates growing out of their spines. I remembered seeing pictures of huge animals that scalies in many regions of Planet Glorie used to pull wagons. They were similar to the animals that I was looking at now, except they did not have the plates growing out of the spines, and they had six legs instead of only four.

"Those are dinosaurs," said Gabe.

"Dinosaurs?" I asked. "I remember reading about them when I was in elementary school. But they went extinct over a thousand years ago!"

"Maybe some of them managed to survive down here," said Itzak.

"If only Laureline and Doc were here to see this," I said.

"We need to figure out how to get out of here," said Gabe. "We'll need to know more about this place."

"Got it."

And so we did a little bit of scouting. I had a closer look at the plants. Some of them were as tall as fully grown trees, and yet they were not made of wood. Some of these plants were being eaten by the dinosaurs. In the distance, there were dinosaurs with really long necks, like the animals Laureline had called giraffes. Some of the longnecks were munching on leaves from giant plants.

"It's like the past came to life here," said Itzak.

"Maybe after we liberate Earth, scientists can study this place," I said.

I looked and saw one of the dinosaurs lying down.

That dinosaur was being eaten aby another dinosaur! A bipedal one, with a round snout and short arms. I watched as the predator tore chunks of flesh off its prey.

"Invid!" yelled Itzak.

I looked to my left and saw two mecha, each with two legs and two arms with clawed hands at the end.

They were definitely the mecha of the Invid Regency!

I placed the hand on my holstered pistol. A fight was about to start, I was sure of it!

One of the Invid was looking at me.

My heart was racing,. I could die the next second.

And then it walked away.

"They must have heard about our reputation," said Gabe, as he watched the Invid walk away.

"I think we should keep watch on them," said Itzak.

"Good idea."

And so we did. The two war machines were not making any moves against us. It seemed as if their interest was in these animals. They were just watching.

They must have known we were here, of course. For all any of us knew, there could be more Invid mecha hiding in the foliage. We watched them, as we and they watched the dinosaurs, who were either lying down, or drinking water, or eating plants, or eating the other dinosaurs. Above us, some flying reptiles soared high above us.

We had to wait. Killing one of the larger dinosaurs could give us plenty of meat for us to smoke- not to mention eating freshly cooked. But killing the dinosaurs might incite the Invid to attack us.

"I wonder if anyone else had been down here," I said. "There would be a lot of animals to hunt. I mean, this could have been some rich dude's private hunting preserve ten years ago."

"Well, down here, you're as likely to be hunted as to hunt," replied Gabe, looking at several dinosaurs eating another one. The Regency mecha watched as well.

I then saw an animal. It was this little thing, maybe half a meter tall, standing on two legs and covered with colorful feathers. Its head had a long snout. The animal made this chirping sound.

I grabbed the thing, and, assisted by the power armor I was wearing, I snapped its neck.

We then got to work- shucking the feathers, preparing the fire, cooking the thing over an open flame as the smoke smothered the animal corpse. I heard sizzling sounds as the bodily fluids dripped onto the fire.

I loked around. The Invid were apparently not interested in our little meal.

"We got us an appetizer," I said. We all started eating this animal. It tasted like a meat I never tasted before.

At least the skin was crispy.

"Tastes good," said Itzak, taking another bite.

"Maybe after we liberate Earth from the Invid Regency, restaurants all over the galaxy will be serving whatever this animal is," I said.

I noticed he was looking at something. He was holkding in his hand. It was like a piece of paper.

"What's that?" I asked.

"My dad and me," he replied. I looked and saw a picture of Ebrahim Mlama, with that same stern look on his face. I recognized the boy in the picture as Itzak, who must have been eight years old at the time.

Itzak yawned. "I'm tired," he said.

"Laureline," said Gabe. "Doc. Do either of you copy?"

There was no response.

"We'd better get some shut eye," said Gabe.

"I can keep watch for the first shift," I said.

Gabe transformed his Cyclone into bike mode and removed his CVR-03. He then got into his sleeping bag.

I kept watch. I had to be on the lookout for anything unusual- sights, sounds, and smells. It was mostly boring.

I turned and saw Gabe sit up.

"Anything wrong?" I asked. "I know you're our leader and all, but you should be getting some sleep."

"I just…can't sleep," said Gabe.

"What is it?" asked Itzak as he was waking up.

I looked at Gabe again.

There was something odd about his face.

"Gabe?" I asked. "Are you all right?"

Gabe stood up.

"You humans," he said.

But that was not his voice coming out of his mouth!

"Your time on this planet Earth has drawn to a close," the voice said.

"Gabe?" I asked. "Gabe! Gabriel! Who is this?"

"You humans were just placeholders, a mere step in the evolution of life on Earth. It is time for another form of life to dominate. You humans know but a fraction of our true power! This your last..last…chance."

That last word sounded like Gabe. He then fell onto his hand and knees.

"What was all that you were saying?" asked Itzak.

"What do you mean?" he asked

"You said something about evolution and humans and about how another form of life will dominate the planet," I replied.

"I said no such thing!"

"You were talking in a voice not your own," said Itzak.

"Yeah, it sounded real creepy," I said.

"It didn't sound so creepy to me," replied Itzak. "It actually.."

"Well, this whole place is straight out of the twilight zone," said Gabe. "We need to find Laureline and Doc! Let's suit up and get on our bikes. "

"Got it," I replied.

We hopped onto our Cyclones and drove off.

"Did you hear that?" asked itzak, who was sitting right behind me.

I could see flying reptiles above us. One of them swooped down to attack.

"Get him to safety!" yelled Gabe as he opened fire on these creatures. I rode a safe distance, putting maybe thirty or so meters between me and those animals. Itzak got off the bike and I transformed it into armor mode. I watched as Gabe dealt with the creature. I took a few potshots at the winged reptiles.

"Look!" yelled Itzak.

I turned and saw a cloud of dust. I could hear rumbling.

It was those dinosaurs. They were running in our direction! But why?

There was not time to ponder that question. I drove my Cyclone towards Gabe, transformed into armor mode, and shot down the last flying animal.

"There's a stampede!" I yelled.

"Let's get going!" he yelled.

Many of the dinosaurs were as big as elephants, and I knew firsthand the destruction a stampede of elephants could cause. I was driving the Cyclone as fast as I could, with Itzak holding on to me.

There was some sort of light in the ceiling.

"Let's go there!" I yelled. I drove towards the light. I glanced back and it looked like Gabe was following us.

We approached closer and closer to where the light was shining on the ground. Standing nearby was this huge long-necked dinosaur that must have been twice the size of an elephant!

There were explosions on the ground, and the giant beast panicked. I looked and saw two of the Invid mecha.

They have decided to attack us.

Gabe and I went to our armor modes and opened fire. It was a running gun battle.

Then I felt myself rise up. The light was pulling us up!

And it was pulling up the dinosaur as well.

I glanced at Gabe and Itzak.

"Invid!" yelled Itzak. I looked down and saw the two mecha coming at us. Gabe and I opened fire in their direction.

Up above us, the light became brighter and brighter.

And then suddenly I found myself fall onto the ground. I looked up and saw the stars of a night sky.

The two Invid were after us. Gabe was keeping one of them busy. I took aim, and then openerd fire.

I scored a direct hit against the sensor eye! The crippled mecha fell to the ground.

There was still the other one. I saw a blast, and there was a smoking hole where the sensor was, and it fell.

I turned, and saw a Garland in battloid mode.

"Doc!" I yelled.

"Great to see you!" yelled Gabe.

"What is that?"

I could see the huge dinosaur. It suddenly fell down.

"That's our dinner," said Itzak.

We got to work.

Ooooooooooo

We all sat around the campfire. Huge slabs of meat were suspended above it. All of us wanted to eat as much as we could, given that there were not any grocery stores or restaurants or food trucks. We wouild also smoke as much meat as we can carry.

We had set camp within sight of where we anchored the boat on the Nile. I could hear the sounds of the local fauna. Stars twinkled in the sky above.

"I still can't believe it," said Laureline. "These creatures from a million years ago."

I had shown Doc and Laureline some pictures we took.

"I still can't believe it myself," I said.

"To think they survived down there for all that time," said Doc.

"The Invid made them," said Itzak. "Somehow, they made them."

"That's as good a guess as any," said Gabe.

After this, we went to sleep, with Gabe, being the leader, having the first night watch.

Oooooooo

Gabe woke me up so I could have the next watch.

"You'd better get some sleep," I said.

"I'm not that sleepy, actually. You said I said some stuff about evolution."

"You seemed possessed. These Invid have powers. "

"It must have something to do with what's down there," said Gabe. "Too bad we have to leave. We could have stayed there for a while. Plenty of food and water."

"I was wondering. How did you get into veritech aviation?"

"I saw a brochure," answered Gabe. "It had all these images of aircraft and pilots and stuff, sop I made a call;. I took an aptitude test, and for my first-class summer I was assigned to train for combat aviation."

"How was that like?"

"Very demanding. All this classroom instruction. I did my best. I continued my studies, and I had to learn about combat aviation in addition to the Academy's regular curriculum. After graduation and my commissioning as a Space Marine officer, I was invited to attend V-school on Tirol. That was even tougher. "

"Can't imagine what it's like flying those things."

Gabe looked up at the sky. "My first veritech combat mission. I ended up here."

"And that is how we met."

"You know what?" asked Gabe.

"Uh, what?" I replied.

"You have some dino meat stick to your face."

"Really?"

"Let me get this off."

He reached out to touch my face. I looked right into his eyes.

And then our lips met.

That was the beginning.

Ooooooooooooo

I felt a comforting warmth beside me when I woke up.

"Good morning," I said to Gabe, who was in the sleeping bag with me.

"Good morning," he replied.

I looked up. We were all on the deck of the boat. The sky had a few clouds and I could see Earth's sun.

"You two better get dressed," said Laureline. "We're going to have a busy day."


	18. Painful Secrets

We were once again sailing along the Nile, as we had been for so many days. I looked around with a pair of binoculars. I could see vegetation, animals like giraffes and elephants and smaller animals, and birds flying overhead. There appeared to be no hostiles.

What I was worried about were hostiles that we could not see, hear, or even smell.

One thing I could feel was the heat. The air felt above ninety. I was not sweating that much, as it was also humid.

"Invid!" yelled Itzak.

I looked around and did not see anything. Then I looked through some binoculars.

I could see some fortifications downstream, over a klick away. They had these spheres on the top. The surface of those spheres seemed to be translucent. I could see some Invid mecha patrolling on the ground nearby, as well as fixed gun emplacements.

"Another blockade," I said.

"We should be approaching the Sudd," said Doc.

"Yeah, that swamp that we can't sail this boat through, right?"

"Right?"

"What's going on?" asked Gabe as he stepped out onto the deck.

"Invid fortification ahead, Lieutenant," replied Itzak

"No sign that they are coming in for an attack," I said.

"We should be very close to that swamp where we would have to ditch this boat." Gabe looked around. "I'm kinda gonna miss this boat. We must have sailed over two thousand klicks."

"I suggest we set anchor here," said Laureline. "It can be a base camp for us to hunt and gather."

"Agreed," replied Gabe. He looked at us. "We'll set anchor here."

And that was what we did. We made sure to secure the area. I looked around. It was mostly tall grass and some trees. A crashed alien spaceship was visible from the distance. There was a wrecked vehicle nearby. I took a closer look. The vehicle was really rusty and its innards were gutted like a pig or a wildebeest or an antelope turned into dinner.

"What is it?" asked Laureline, still encased in her Cyclone armor.

"A hover transport," I said. "From the looks of it this thing must be about fifty years old. It used air cushions to stay above ground."

"It must be for transporting soldiers over the swamp. The Global War."

"Dad told me about my uncle who was killed in combat during that war," I said.

We continued scouting the immediate area. After we were sure the area was clear of hostiles, we hid in some brush, looking for prey. I could see the animals called hippos. They were such easy, slow targets. Itzak held a rifle. He aimed carefully, placing the butt against his shoulder.

I heard some cracks and the hippo fell.

"Dinner," said Itzak.

And so we had dinner. We went through the sequence of butchering the hippo. We would eat as much as we could, while smoking as much of the rest as we could.

After having some of that tender, succulent, hippo meat, I chewed on some smoked dino meat.

"You still want the dino meat?" asked Gabe. "I think it's still good for ten more days."

"It actually tastes good," I said. "Maybe we should sail south and start gathering meat."

"Except the Invid are there," said Laureline. "No doubt they'll kill intruders, after what we did down there."

We sat around the fire, talking and laughing.

A while later, Gabe returned to the boat. He went inside the cockpit and turned on the radio. I could hear chatter.

"This is Titan Seven," said Gabe, fiddling with the radio controls. "Anyone out there?"

"Point Kilo checking in," I heard a voice say.

"Iron Mountain checking in."

"Megazone Two Three checking in."

"Poseidon checking in."

"Titian Seven, request update," said Gabe.

I heard more chatter, but none of them answered our request.

"At least they are out there," I said.

A while later, Gabe an d I lay together. There were so few opportunities for privacy out in the wilderness.

His fingers went through my hair.

"What's this?" he asked.

"What's what?' I asked, confused.

"This dent in your skull," he said. "I feel this dent in your skull."

There were painful memories surfacing from a few years ago.

"I…I," I started.

I then gazed into his brown eyes. I looked at his olive-complected face and his black hair with the purplish tint. I could feel his warmth.

"It's okay," he said.

"It was back when I was around fifteen years old," I said. "There was this bunch of girls who did not like me. One of them was even jealous because I was steady with this guy, Kaifun." Wait, you don't mind talking about an ex."

"Not for now."

"Anyway, I was at this party. There were drinks and stuff around. I didn't remember how I got home."

I looked into Gabe's eyes. I could tell he was dreading what I was about to say.

"Some boys started making comments about me- vulgar, disgusting comments. One of them straight up showed me a naked picture of myself. Those girls, they drugged my drink, took off my clothes when I was unconscious, took pictures of me naked. Those girls posted it online."

"Oh no," said Gabe.

"I was so ashamed," I said. "I was crying. I…I remember feeling the grip of the pistol. I remember how my hand was trembling. I remember how the steel of the barrel felt against my head…"

"Go on," said Gabe. "I'm right here."

"I remember the loud noise. I remember waking up at the urgent care center on the island. My aim was sloppy, but I just blew out a chunk of my skull. I had to be refitted with a stainless steel prosthesis. I had a year of counseling. If I had better aim, I would be dead."

"What was done to you was wrong," said Gabe in this reassuring tone. "It should not have happened. It was just luck that you survived, you ended up here, you met me."

"Just luck."

"What happened to those girls?"

"They were from influential families in the Commonwealth, so they managed to avoid punishment from the courts."

Gabe stroked the part of my head where the prosthetic was. "After we are done here, we had better get some sleep."

And we did.

Ooooo

We had to get past that Invid blockade. We stayed at camp for the day, gathering food and water. We then discussed our plan of getting past that Invid blockade.

The boat floated downstream the Nile towards the swamp called the Sudd; the night sky lit with nothing but stars and a crescent moon. The Regency's mecha flew to intercept the boat.

" _The boat is all but useless in the Sudd," said Laureline._

" _We should salvage what we can, especially the comm equipment," I said._

" _The boat itself may have one final use," said Gabe._

It did have a final use. We blew it up using explosives. It went up in a bright fireball.

" _What good would that do?" asked Itzak. "The Invid won't get close enough. We'd only be able to take out one if we are lucky."_

" _Great observation, kid," said Gabe. "You know how to think."_

" _Thank you."_

" _But still, there is much for you to learn. The explosion is to cause a distraction, to think we are under attack."_

And a distraction it was. I could see several of the Invid mecha swarming to where the boat exploded. We were going to the blockade barrier.

" _We need to cover out bikes with camouflage," said Gabe. "We can gather some plants."_

That was what we did. We had gathered all sorts of leaves and reeds and tied them together, covering our bikes. Gabe, Laureline,Itzak, and I walked our bikes, while doc had his back only power the hover mechanisms while he pushed to give it forward momentum.

This section of a barreier was basically a ditch with barbed wire.

"Okay, peeps," said Gabe. "Time to cross this barrier and haul ass."

And that was what we did, transforming our bikes into armor mode, except for Itzak, whose bike was pretty much conventional. I made sure to carry Itzak, while Doc carried Itzak's bike. We easily jumped over the barrier. We transformed into our bikes and sped off.

After a few minutes, we stopped, hiding in some tall grass.

"No Invid nearby," said Itzak.

"Stay alert," said Gabe. "The Regency may simply be watching us."

"That's right," said Doc. "They have eyes in the sky."

I looked up in the sky. There were no signs of battle in space.

Oooooo

I was suddenly awakened. We all stood.

I could see tall grass and a flock of birds flying in the dawn sky and a wrecked alien spaceship near the horizon. I also saw a man on horseback. He wore a wide brimmed hat and some simple clothing. He carried a rifle.

"Can you talk to him?" I asked Laureline.

"Sure," she said. She looked at the man. "We come in peace," she said to him. "I am Laureline."

The man replied in some language I could not understand.

Laureline spoke to him in a different language.

He still did not understand.

Doc then spoke to him.

The armed man replied.

They continued chattering. I did hear Doc say "Invid".

"They are from a people called the Dinka," said Doc. "We are passing through their hunting grounds. I told them we were passing through and he said they will not attack unless we attack them or hunt in their territory. He, his band of Dinka at least, are not allied with the Invid."

"So they claim neutrality," said Gabe. "I'm not here to make new enemies for the United Nations. Doc, can you tell him that we will respect their rights? We will not take anything from their land without their permission. We will not disturb their herds nor pick their crops without a fair trade."

Doc spoke to the armed man, who then withdrew.

I did not need to look nor listen to know that the armed man's teammates were watching us.

"Too bad we could not trade the dinosaur meat," said Laureline. "I am sure one of the rulers of the Dinka would give us a month's worth of food and supplies for some dinosaur meat, but who would actually believe we have smoked dino meat?"

"They would trade food for some of our gear," said Itzak.

Gabe shot him a look.

"Which we will not give up, of course," said Itzak. " And not as if they would take it by force."

"If they did, it would be a perfect excuse for us to raid them," said Gabe.

"Come to think of it," I said, "if they were actually allied with the Invid, we could just take their stuff. The letter of marque and reprisal given to Trans Galactic authorized raids against the Invid Regency _and_ her allies."

"You would actually take food from, these people?" asked Laureline.

"if they are allies of the Invid, yes," I said. "The letter authorizes that."

"But what if they had a poor hunting season or their cattle was starving? Would you condemn the kids to starve to death because of that?"

"They shouldn't have made an alliance with the Invid then."

"They have no reason to pretend neutrality before us," said Doc. "As far as they knew, we were merely traders passing through."

"I heard about trading," said Itzak. "They trade in cloth and herbs and spices and gold and silver. And protoculture."

"Makes sense," I said. "items with a high price-to-volume rate. No point in sailing through dangerous waters, under threat from hostiles both human and Invid, just to buy or sell some smoked bacon."

"I did enjoy the bacon we made out of that dinosaur," said Laureline.

"You're making my mouth water," I said.

"Well, peeps, we better get going," said Gabe.

And so we did.

Our route took us generally northeast, staying just outside the swampy areas. There were so many types of plants, including trees. So many animals, both flying in the air as well as hoofing it on the ground. We did not hunt these animals. We all knew that the local scouts were watching us.

Because we were not hunting game, we had to eat the preserved foods. We ate the last of the smoked dinosaur meat from that weird place deep underground. The meat was tough, not like that roasted dinosaur meat we had a long time ago.

Still, we all knew it would likely be the last time we got to eat dinosaur meat. I made sure I savored every bite, and I could tell the others felt the same way.

As we got closer to the crashed spaceship, we noted there was a village at its base. It definitely made sense. The spaceship was a source for raw materials, and it would provide shelter during the night and during storms.

We drove up to near the town. I used binoculars to take a closer look. It was surrounded by a wooden palisade wall. There were towers that were manned by watchmen. Many of the buildings were made of wood, while some other buildings were built from materials salvaged from the crashed spaceship, which looked like it was about a thousand meters long.

There was an open area, with plenty of people milling about. I noticed these wooden stalls.

"A market," I said.

"No doubt it's a major stopover for traders going up and down the Nile," said Laureline.

"People there are likely to be a lot looser with their tongues," said Gabe. "I'll check it out. You're coming with me."

"Is this a date?" I asked.

"We'll need Itzak with us too," he answered. "We'll look less threatening if we had a child with us."

"If we find him a girlfriend, it can be a double date."

And so we went to the market. It was an outdoor market with various stalls, much like they had at the Island's Farmers' Market back on Planet Glorie. Most of the stalls sold vegetables and herbs and fruits.

So many people were here. Children were running around, playing. I noticed rough-clothed, armed men; I guess they were traders who braved sneaking past the Regency blockades in this region. Most of the men had skin as dark as the locals, though a few had a significantly fairer complexion.

I saw a one-handed, dark-skinned man at one of the stalls, selling pieces of cloth. He was calling out to the people in the market.

"Hello there," said Gabe.

"Ah, young man," replied the one-handed man. "Good day to you. I have some fine silk, all the way from Egypt! If you have some gold or silver or any trade items."

Egypt. From what Laureline, Doc, and even Itzak had mentioned over the past few days, Egypt was the land at the mouth of the Nile River.

"I wish I had a mechanical hand for you," replied Gabe. "What happened to your hand?"

"The Masters of Robotech took it. When I joined the Army, I just wanted to make money to send home. It was more money that I knew was possible."

"And it cost you a hand."

"Any news from traders?"

"People trying to eke out a living. Rare herbs grow here, traded for protoculture, as not much Flower of Life growing in the Sudd. Trading can be dangerous. I knew a trader; an ambitious young man from Khartoum to the north, only a few years older than you at most. Just a few months ago his caravan told me he was killed in an attempt to sneak past an Invid blockade. Very profitable career; very life threatening."

"How are things going in Egypt?" I asked.

"Ah, Egypt," said the man. "A land of wealth. They ally with Invid for protoculture. The Pharaoh there certainly is not content to just sit on his throne all day; he's been building his kingdom for the past ten years. His image is on this pound coin, which is used for trade even as far south as the Sudd." He held this gold coin in his hand, and I could see the image of a man.

"May I took a closer look?"

"If you have something to trade."

"I wish we had something to spare," said Gabe.

"Good day, sir."

"So what now?" asked Itzak.

"We'll have to move on," said Gabe. "We can't spare anything, and there aren't any opportunities for us to hire ourselves out."

"Yeah, I noticed the lack of Help Wanted signs," I added.

"What's that?" asked Itzak.

I saw what he was looking at. There was this building made out of scrap. I noticed it had some air conditioning units attached. There was a sign in several languages. In English, it read "GIRLS FOR RENT".

"Not anything we can trade for," I answered.

So we went back to where we camped, just outside the palisade walls. There were other people camped nearby. Some have already started campfires. The watchmen at the towers were keeping a close eye on us.

"Did you find anything?" asked Doc.

"No particularly useful information," replied Gabe.

"If we had some money," I said to Laureline, "we could have gone on a shopping trip."

"Shopping?"

"Well, I mean, I have a lot of U.N. dollars in my bank account, but this place does not accept it."

"Look," said Itzak. "Invid!"

I looked up with some binoculars, and I could see some of the Invid Regency mecha flying high above in the sky.

They passed over us. Still, I shuddered. Our past close encounters with the Invid had a tendency to be violent.

"We'd better get some sleep," I said.

And so we did.

Oooooooooo

I woke up to a breakfast of smoked meat. The marketplace in the village nearby did not have any of those all day diners that served full breakfasts of eggs, hash browns, toast, bacon, sausage, and pancakes. I remember trips to the mainland when I was little, to have full breakfasts at this diner. I was getting hungry just remembering it.

But I could not let the past distract me so. I got to work checking our bikes to make sure they were in working order.

"Everything seems to be okay," I said.

"We got everything packed," said Laureline.

"Okay, peeps," said Gabe. "Let's get going."

And so we did, driving away from the village, along the dirt roads between the farms, towards the edge of Dinka territory and beyond.

It was after almost a day of driving that we decided to stop and look for a place to camp. The crashed alien spaceship was still visible, although it appeared smaller. The area we were in had tall grass, a far cry from the cultivated lands near the village.

"Okay, peeps," said Gabe. "Let's check out the area."

And so we did. We spread out to look for any sign of hostiles- human or Invid. I looked and listened and even smelled.

I heard some rustling.

I wondered what it was.

I then looked down and saw some animal running off.

My heart skipped a beat. I did not need a jump scare.

"What was that?" asked Itzak.

"Just an animal," I replied.

I continued scouting.

I suddenly saw itzak disappear.

"This is not time for hide and seek," I called out. "Itzak!"

For a moment I wondered if he had fallen into An underground chamber populated by dinosaurs, like we did over a week ago.

"I'm here!" I heard him yell.

I pulled my Cyclone over to where the voice was. I looked and Itzak was in some sort of pit. It was recently dug, probably dug as a hunting trap for prey.

"Are you all right, kid?" I asked.

"My ankle hurts," he replied.

"Okay, Gabe," I said into the radio. "I just.."

I was suddenly struck by something and fell into the pit.

Itzak and I looked up and saw a man covered in camouflage.

We were hauled up from the pit, tied with something,. And taken away.


	19. The Long Pork

I strained against whatever was tying me. It was too strong.

If only I had not gotten off my Cyclone.

From what I could feel, this was some sort of hover transport. Itzak was also securely fastened.

Who were these guys?

Will Gabe and the others come to the rescue?

I was about to find out soon.

I looked around, even as it was getting dark. We were going right over the swamp.

I then felt the vehicle stop.

I was yanked out fo the vehicle. I could tell I was being taken to a house on some stilts.

It was not long before Itzak and I were placed into this room with wooden walls. It was dark.

"You okay?" I asked Itzak.

I heard a girl's voice. She spoke in this foreign language.

"Can you understand me?" I asked.

She replied in her language, but I can tell she still said no.

A door opened, and I could see some people. A light was shined on us.

One of the men approached me, looking closely at me.

My heart was racing.

What would they do to me?

Where was Gabe?

"Meat," one of them said. "The lady will sustain us for weeks. But this little boy here; he will be succulent."

"Don't touch him," I said.

"Or what?" asked the English-speaking man. "we have you and your boy here. Your last resting place will be in the outhouse."

The outhouse?

I could see where the female voice came from. she was a girl, with dark skin, looking to be no older than ten years.

I noticed she was naked.

I also noticed that her legs and her left arm were severed, and her right arm was chained.

It was pretty obvious why they were keeping us here.

Where was Gabe?

The door was opened, and these people led us out. I looked and saw benches and chairs under this tarp held up by poles. People in rough clothing were sitting there. The place was lit by torches on top of poles embedded in the ground. I could hear some sizzling.

"Welcome to dinner," said one of the men. I looked close and he had a gap in his upper teeth and a scar on his cheek.

They started talking to each other. I could tell many of these people were dressed in pieces of armor left over from the last Robotech War.

One of them approached Itzak. He looked him over, like a calf. They talked as they looked over him.

I saw them take something. The man held it in front of itzak's face. He struggled against the cables restraining him.

He then set in on fire, and Itzak screamed.

"What are you doling?!" I yelled.

They answered me with a slap to the face.

They then carried itzak and laid him face-up on a table.

"He will be a succulent dinner," said one of the men.

"Are you going to have fries with that?" I asked nervously.

My heart was beating.

They had some tools which appeared to be for cutting.

Were they going to kill him and butcher him like some pig?

Or just cut off his limbs, eat them one by one as he and I watch.

Even from this distance, I can tell Itzak was scared.

"Hold it right there?' I heard a voice yell.

That was Gabe!

One of the men lifted what appeared to be a weapon. He was promptly gunned down.

Gabe walked up to me, wearing his CVR-038 Cyclone Armor.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Not really," I replied. "We have to rescue that girl. These people are cannibals."

I could see Laureline and Doc keeping these cannibals at bay.

"Let's get you out of here," said Gabe.

"The girl," I said.

Gbae looked in her direction. I could tell that he can see the girls' arm and legs had been severed. He madwe a hand motion, and Doc picked up the girl in his GR-002 Strike Garland veritech battloid.

"Okay, peeps!" yelled Gabe. "Retreat!"

And so we did. We headed across the swamp, onto dry land. We on alert, in case these cannibals try to ambush us, or the Invid patrol decides to use us for target practice. After maybe half an hour, we made it to dry land.

"Okay, Doc," said Gabe. "You've got to head back with the girl, back to that town. They might be able to help."

"Yes, sir," replied Doc. He transformed his Garland into hovercycle mode and sped off, holding on tyo the girl that we rescued.

"Itzak, are you all right?" I asked.

"No," he answered.

"We can look for your bikes," said Laureline. "They should be in this area."

So that was what we did. Sure enough, we managed to find our bikes in the tall grassy area where the cannibals had dug their trap.

We were of course, really careful not to fall down any holes.

Soon enough, we were back at that town built around the alien spaceship. We met with Gabe at the marketplace.

I kissed him for the longest time. I cried.

"Doc's with the local authorities," he said. "The girl is safe for now."

"Anything else?" I asked.

"We'll have to expect to stay here at least for another day. They will want to ask questions."

And that was what they did. I was questioned by two men in rough clothes inside this building made from scrap, in this room lit by electric lights. I told them my whole story, and my experiences with the cannibals.

After maybe an hour of answering my questions, they escorted me to some bunk with cots. I figured it was for temporary guests.

At least it was not a jail cell.

Exhausted, I quickly fell asleep.

Ooooooooooo

"Wake up, sunshine," I heard Gabe say.

I got up. I looked around; it was a room with wooden walls. Still, it was a bit more advanced than sleeping in a sleeping bag, under the stars- though sharing the sleeping bag with Gabe made it much more tolerable.

"Any updates?' I asked.

"These people trust us, but only to an extent. I volunteered the two of us to go back to the swamp and looks for the cannibals."

"What about the girl?'

"Doc is helping the local doctors with her. He's also gonna watch over Itzak."

"What's for breakfast?" I asked. "besides smoked meat?"

"Nothing."

"Well, let's head out."

And so we did.

oooooooooo

"Does this look familiar?" asked Gabe.

"It definitely looks different," I replied.

Gabe and I as well as a few of the local militiamen were on an island in the Sudd. We had gotten here in our Cyclones as well as motor vehicles. We actually had to wade through the water in our armor mode. The others used shallow-draft motorboats and a high-clearance wheeled vehicle.

I looked around. There were burnt, charred walls and support beams. I could still faintly smell smoke. The only standing structure was this brick structure.

I then saw the table, now charred black.

One of the militiamen, wearing armor salvaged from the time of the war with the Robotech Masters, lifted up something.

"A femur," said Gabe.

"This was the place," I whispered. The horrible memories surfaced.

"They must have fled after we made our rescue."

I looked down on the ground, seeing what appeared to be a human rib bone.

I heard the leader of the militia say something.

"We're heading back," said Gabe.

And so we did.

Oooooooooo

Having rescued one of the local villagers, we were rewarded with a feast of fresh meat and vegetables in the markwetplace. We had our meal on some wooden tables and benches under an open tent. I figured this was used for special ioccasions like holidays and weddings, like a reception hall. I could almost imagine being back at the hakll at the Tirol Aerospace Academy where we had formal balls.

Eating freshly cooked food was a treat. The meat and vegetables were cooked with herbs and spices. It was as if I could taste each one.

I had not had herbs and spices in such a long time, not since we left Colonel Wheatley's crew so long ago.

"I should have been more careful," said Gabe. "We should have kept each other covered."

"It worked out in the end," said Laureline, eating some fresh boiled vegetables.

"That was just moral luck. How could I have been so stupid?"

"Experience teaches us more than school," said Doc. "To train as an Air Force combat medic required two years of schooling. Learning basic medical care, infantry combat, parachuting, emergency medicine, underwater survival. Only two percent of those admitted actually passed. And yet, in one year of combat missions against the Robotech Masters, I learned much, much more. Sometimes the cost was the lives of soldiers.

"Lieutenant Gashtar, you have a strong foundation to become a good officer, maybe even a general. There is nothing you can not accomplish if you build upon this foundation."

"Thank you."

A woman appearing to be in her early thirties approached us. She was carrying a girl. I noticed the stumps where her legs and left arm should be. She said something.

"She said thank you," said this man.

That man was one of the town elders. He had tightly-curled white hair, his black skin looked like it had the texture of old shrunken leather, and he wore rough clothing. He had a ring through the left nostril of his flat nose.

I looked as the girl's mother carted her away in a wheelbarrow.

"You know, maybe we could have gotten help," said Gabe. "There might be someone off-planet that could give this girl a prosthetic, if the Invid were not blockading the whole planet. Hell, people have to sneak through blockades just to enter or leave the Sudd."

"So you want us to fight the Invid," said the old man.

"Just think, sir. People used to be able to travel the whole world, or even other planets, in peace. The Invid Regency is keeping the Earth isolated and divided. I can't imagine the children here living their whole lives confined to the Sudd. There must be other places on Earth they would like to visit. Or maybe they could visit Mars, or Tirol, or Glorie. If the Regency were not blockading this planet."

"In the past fifty years, I have seen at least four wars fought in the Sudd. We have peace now. We can not possibly stand up to the Invid. Our lives are at stake, especially lives like the girl you rescued from those cannibals. We live a simple life here.

"We will provide you with preserved foods as well as some protoculture. If you choose to fight the Invid, you must leave Dinka territory. Do not bring the war to us. We have no desire to be enemies."

"Thank you for your hospitality, sir," said Gabe.

Laureline, Doc, Itzak, and I nodded.

"You are welcome," replied the old man.

It was not long afterward, after me tuning up the bikes, that we were ready to leave. We made sure to check our preserved food supplies, as well as the protoculture, which was in canisters marked HBT.

And then we left on our course northbound to leave the Sudd. I glanced back, and saw the girl in the wheelbarrow.


	20. Grand Theft Protoculture

I was sweating due to the warm air.

I looked through binoculars. Ahead was a city. I could see a skyline of skyscrapers. The city looked as big as Primopolis on Glorie.

One of the structures on the skyline stood out. There was this pink spherical structure on top.

"Khartoum," said Doc. "Where the Blue Nile meets the Nile. I went here on vacation once after finishing my combat medic training. There was this resort on the banks of the Blue Nile. Had a great time. Seems like a lifetime ago."

"The intersection of two major rivers," said Gabe. "No wonder the Regency built a hive here."

We were on a dirt road maybe a few klicks from the banks of the Nile. Farmland covered the immediate area around us, with fields with a variety of crops. Many of the farms had barns and windmills. Electric power lines stretched between wooden poles. It was a little like the countryside of the Glorie Commonwealth or the Tirol Republic.

"What do we do?" asked Laureline.

"We haven't been to a city in a long time," I answered. "I mean, maybe we can rent a hotel room with running water, eat at a fancy restaurant, guzzle down some beers."

"Yeah, I'm sure we can easily get jobs there," said Gabe. "Maybe we can earn enough money to buy some more protoculture cells."

We all nodded. Our protoculture was starting to run dry. It had been a while since we got replenishments at that swamp town."

"There is another complication," said Laureline. "A city that size would regulate motor vehicles. It would be unlikely that we could drive our bikes through the streets in broad daylight without attracting any attention from any watchmen. And none of us have any forged documentation."

I had to agree. We mostly drove our bikes through wilderness areas. Over there in the city, we would be pulled over by the cops due to lack of proper license plates or insurance.

"That definitely is Invid-occupied territory," said Gabe.

"So we're just going in and taking protoculture?" asked Itzak.

"Possibly," replied Gabe. "But I do prefer to avoid hurting humans. The people in this area have not shown themselves to be as bad as the Purifiers."

"Maybe we should borrow a vehicle," suggested Itzak.

"As in stealing?" asked Doc.

"No, we're just going to borrow it. Just like when we borrowed that boat back at Lake Victoria."

I remembered that, borrowing a fishing boat to steal the Purifier patrol boat, which we later scuttled much later when we reached the southern end of the Sudd. That seemed so long ago.

"In any event, there is only so much intel we can get looking through our binoculars, or listening to radio broadcasts," said Gabe. "Let's go, peeps."

And so that was what we did.

After driving around, we reached this outdoor market on the southern outskirts of the city called Khartoum. There were all sorts of people milling about. Various items were being sold in stalls. I could see traders in rough clothing. I heard people calling out what they have to sell. I noticed people paid either in coins or with gold bars. There were scales at the stalls to weigh the coins. I looked and saw protoculture cell being sold to one of the shoppers here.

We stood close to Itzak as he started talking to some of the people. Children were not perceived as threatening as us adults. Indeed, many of the traders spoke to him.

I looked and saw most of the people relaxed, some eating shish kabobs and others drinking some sort of beverage. The people here seemed to be enjoying themselves.

And yet just maybe less than three klicks away was an Invid Hive. The children here have not even crossed the river, blockaded by the Invid Regency as it was now.

The Regency, keeping the humans on Earth from traveling the open seas or deep space…

"I think I have an idea where the protoculture is stored," Itzak said to us.

"Let's make a retreat," said Gabe. "We'd better go over our game plan there."

And that was what we did.

Ooooooooo

I saw the police car, sirens blaring and lights flashing, traveling down the rural road at about maybe eighty kph.

Itzak was driving his Suzuki. He pulled over on the side of the road, right next to a fence topped with barbed wire. I could see a man in a blue uniform step out. I could hear a conversation over the radio.

"The fish took the bait," said Laureline. "I repeat, the fish took the bait."

"Let's reel him in," replied Gabe.

And so we did. We drove towards the police car at high speed. We transformed our Cyclones into armor mode. We then surrounded the cop.

He appeared to be a young man with dark skin. I could see the fear on his face.

"We're not here to kill you," Gabe said to the police officer. "We just want to borrow your boss's car here. And your uniform."

To emphasize the point, Doc stood over him, encased inside his Garland battloid.

The cop knew he had to surrender.

We soon stripped him of his uniform. Doc then tied him to a fence post. We all examined the blue uniform.

"It seems this uniform would fit you best," Laureline said to me, holding the clothes in front of me.

"Okay, let's head to the fallback point," said Gabe.

I got into the driver's seat of the police car. I flipped a switch, used the dashboard handle to put the car in gear, and drove off, with the sirens blaring and lights flashing. I navigated the streets, with the others behind me, before we reached our fallback position.

It was a vacant lot with an empty building. We had stashed Laureline's bike there- she had rode with me.

"Okay," Gabe said to me even as I was putting on the police uniform, "You'd better make this quick. The Khartoum police probably have some sort of tracking device on that car. It's not a matter of if they find the car, but when."

"Sure thing," I replied.

I got into the driver's seat of the police car, and Itzak joined me in the front passenger seat. I turned on the lights and the siren and sped off.

When I first accepted that job with Trans Galactic, I never imagined that I would be driving a police car.

I was driving towards the center of Khartoum. Many of the vehicles on the road pulled over, of course. The streets were laid out in a grid; there were few people on the streets, as it was early morning.

I made a right turn on this street. It was a wide street, and it was surrounded by industrial-looking buildings. In the distance, to my left, I could see the Invid Hive towering over us. Some Invid mecha flew overhead.

"I am here in the target zone," I said into the radio. "I repeat, I am here in the target zone."

"Copy that," said Gabe.

We got out of the car. I was in my police uniform. Looking around, the facilities here all had brick walls topped with barbed wire. I saw a truck passing by.

"Over there,:" said Itzak, pointing. I saw that he was pointing to one of the buildings. It was surrounded by a beige wall. I could see a truck parked at what appeared to be a delivery gate.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The protoculture."

"How do you know?"

I walked over to where the gate was. I looked through a pair of binoculars.

The workers- all young men- were loading canisters marked HDT into the back of the truck.

Itzak and I got into the police car. It was maybe a minute before the truck pulled out onto the street.

"Okay," I said. "We're going in."

I put the police car in gear and turned around. I pressed the button to make sure the lights were flashing and the siren was wailing.

The truck pulled to the side. I got out of the car and went to the driver's side of the truck. I motioned for the driver to get out of the truck. He stepped out, a young man with skin the color of sand. I then motioned for the driver to open the back of the truck.

He was quite cooperative. It made sense, as getting in trouble with the law would not be very much liked by his employers.

I wonder what the admiral and his staff would think of me impersonating a cop and doing grand theft auto.

I looked in the back, seeing the protoculture canisters.

Itzak pointed, and I looked.

There were two police cars on the street, approaching us, their sirens blaring and lights flashing.

They must have tracked the police car that we borrowed.

Itzak and I got into the cab of the truck. I put the vehicle in gear, and floored the accelerator.

The two police cars swerved out of the way. I heard this bang; I must have hit one of the police cars.

"We have the gift," said Itzak. "We're heading to the fallback point."

"Copy," I heard Gabe say over the radio.

I drove through the city streets. I knew I had to head south, away from the Invid Hive. I could see a police car with flashing lights in the rear view mirror.

I then saw a police car turn in front of me. I swerved the wheel,. The truck made a reall;y wide turn; I must have hit another car.

These trucks were far less maneuverable than motorcycles.

I was driving on what a to be a main artery; I figured the street would take me right out of the city. Many of the cars moved out of the way, not wanting to be rear appeared.

I saw a traffic light turn yellow ahead. I floored the accelerator, making it into the intersection just as the light turn red.

I noticed the buildings were not as tall here as they were back maybe a klick or two. I must be going through the southern suburbs. The police were still tailing me.

I kept ahead of them. I did not want them to surround me. I kept driving, even as other drivers pulled over, not wanting to be a casualty in a police chase.

We soon reached the countryside.

Where were Gabe and the others?

I saw something approach in the distance.

They were motorcycles.

I saw them transform.

That was Gabe and the others!

They fired a few blasts, and I stepped on the brake.

"Hey there," said Gabe.

I looked and saw him, wearing the Cyclone armor.

"I heard you got in trouble with the cops," he said.

I glanced at the rear view mirror, seeing some of the police cars run off the road. The police were standing their ground, but did not want to confront us directly.

"We'd better get going," said Gabe. "We'll be your escort."

"Got it," I replied.

And so I put the truck in gear. We drove off, escorted by the Cyclones and the Strike Garland, leaving the cops behind.

We had to head to our fallback point to grab our remaining bikes and then leave.

It looked like we succeeded. We had some extra protoculture for the bikes.

"Invid!" yelled Itzak.

"What?" I asked, bringing the truck to a stop.

"Invid are approaching!" he yelled.

I got out of the truck. Laureline looked through some binoculars.

"Invid are coming," she said.

"The police must have informed the Invid of our theft of the protoculture," said Doc.

I looked and could see the Invid Regency mecha. They were gray in color. At least two of them had these shoulder cannons.

"Get back to our fallback point," said Gabe. "We'll have our little dance with the Invid."

I got into the truck and headed off. Glancing at the rear view mirror, I could see Gabe and the others engaging the Regency, exchanging shots.

"Let's put some distance," I said.

I looked behind and saw an Invid mecha in the rear view mirror.

We were driving in a straight line on a road.

We were an easy target.

I saw and heard a blast just to my right.

I gripped the steering wheel.

The mecha was trying to force us off the road.

Or kill us.

The Invid chasing us was matching our speed.

There was one trick I could play.

I slammed own the brakes, feeling myself jerk forward.

The Invid flew right past us.

It turned around.

This truck was far less maneuverable than the enemy mecha.

I then saw doc driving in his Strike Garland. He transformed the Garland into battloid mode and engaged the mecha. They exchanged fire, with Doc firing at the Invid with the EP-45 pulse laser. I watched for a few seconds as Doc kept the Invid busy.

Then the IOnvid went down. It lay on troad, leaking some sort of fluid- maybe lubricant or transmission fluid.

Gabe and Laureline drove up.

"We took care of the first wave," said Gabe. "But they'll send a second wave soon. We'd better move it."

And so we did.

Ooooooooooo

We went back to our fallback point inside the abandoned barn. We worked in replacing the protoculture power cells in our mecha.

"Invid are not here yet," said Itzak. "We better hurry though."

"You're right," said Laureline, placing a protoculture cell into her Cyclone veritech motorcycle.

I placed my bike, as well as Itzak's bike, into the back of the truck. "We might as well keep borrowing this truck a little bit longer."

"I agree," said Gabe. "We'd better head south. We'll cross the Nile in the wilderness, and then continue north. There will be less chance of running into the Invid."

Itzak and I got inside the truck. We then drove off, along with Gabe and the others, to the south, away from civilization.


	21. Entering Egypt

The Invid Regency mecha crashed after I had blasted it. I could see that the others were retreating.

"We'd better move it," said Gabe. "No telling if the Regency or its allies will be sending reinforcements."

And so we did, hi-tailing it out on our Cyclones in bike mode.

We managed to find a nook in these low hills. There was nothing but brush and some other desert plants. Above us was a clear, star-studded sky.

"The stars," said Itzak. "I never get tired looking at the stars, the Big Dipper."

"I wanted a career flying among the stars," I replied.

Memories surface of maybe the past week or so traveling north on the Nile. It was mostly wilderness, with as few scattered riverside settlements. We mostly fished and hunted for food, smoking what we could not immediately eat. I had many nights in the sleeping bag with Gabe. Most of what we did that time was not worth much writing about.

I felt a chilly wind. I saw a source of light on the ground, many klicks away. I looked at the source through a pair of binoculars and I could see some guard towers. That must be some sort of military base and a town surrounding it. Nearby was this giant stone structure.

"No inbound transmissions from any resistance groups," said Gabe, listening over the radio. He had not been speaking into the microphone, we had just evaded the Invid and did not want to draw too much attention.

"Here we are," said Doc. "Welcome to Egypt."

Ooooooooo

The market was like any typical outdoor market, if various details were different. The market was on a pedestrian street lined with tall buildings. There were also stalls lining the street, with merchants selling various items like food and clothing and jewelry. I would have guessed most of these merchants sold items made in the farms surrounding this town on the southern frontier of Egypt. There were dozens of people milling about in the market. Some of the ladies wore these dressed and veils that covered their entire bodies, while other ladies revealed just barely more skin. There were a few uniformed men whom I figured were on leave from the military outpost nearby. Uniformed police stood watch, and perhaps there were other police in plain clothes, or maybe even manning some of the stalls here.

Doc and Itzak accompanied me to this town. We may be in Egypt for at least a few days, unless we found a resistance group operating in the wilderness.

"One of these days, I should go on a shopping trip with Laureline," I said.

I looked and saw a stall with a man behind it selling food. I took some of the coins, called Egyptian pounds, out of my pocket. It was a miracle that we were actually able to acquire money. One thing the Egyptians imported was wood, since there were no forests in Egypt. Gabe and the rest of us were able to acquire temporary jobs hauling lumber, which was then floated down the Nile. The Invid Regency did not do anything to stop it as their blockades were meant to stop humans, not the remains of trees. Anyway, Gabe had given me some of the pound coins. Too bad it was not enough to get us all a hotel room, with a hot shower.

I walked up to the stall. I could see kabobs as well as some hummus.

"May I have some hummus?" I asked.

"Sure," replied the merchant, who spoke with this thick accent. "Nothing beats freshly made hummus for a morning snack."

"sure, I'll buy some hummus."

I paid for some servings of hummus with one gold coin. I took paper plates that had hummus along with this flatbread.

"Here you go," I said to Itzak as I gave him a plate of hummus. He ate it. He seemed to like it more than fresh meat, nevermind smoked meat.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at an adjacent building.

I saw some large lithographs. There was a picture of a man and woman in rough clothing, holding a pitchfork and a plow, with a field in the background that appeared to have crops growing from it. I saw another lithograph of a woman wearing a white lab coat and holding a test tube. There was another lithograph of a man carrying a rifle and wearing armor similar to those worn by soldiers who fought the Robotech Masters over ten years ago.

And I saw a lithograph of a man wearing a striped headdress, with a sculpture of a snake emerging from the forehead.

"Your son?" the merchant asked Doc.

"I am taking care of him," replied Doc.

"He's new here," I said. "Never been to Egypt before."

"Was it scary to try to sneak past the Invid?"

"No," answered Itzak.

"Such a brave boy. That man is the Pharaoh. He is the morning and the evening star, the first of Egypt."

"How long has he been Pharaoh here?" I asked. "How did he become Pharaoh?"

"It is a long story," said the man. "After the war with the Robotech Masters and the collapse of the United Earth Government, Egypt was thrown into chaos. Neighbor rose against neighbor,. Brother against brother. Sister against sister. Entire towns were burned to the ground. Then the Pharaoh came. He used to be a general in Supreme Command who came home after the war. After the arrival of the Invid Regency, he struck a deal with them. We grow the Flower of Life and trade for protoculture. The Invid protect us from invaders."

"And they keep you in Egypt," said Itzak. "the Invid try to kill those who cross their blockades."

"We have peace here. We are not starving. We can even travel all the way from Aswan to Alexandria in peace. And I say there are those, more adventurous, who sneak across to trade in valuables like gold and silver and wood."

"Has anyone attacked recently?" asked Itzak after swallowing some hummus.

"There have been air strikes launched from submarines and hidden bases across the Red Sea by people who just can't stop fighting the war."

"War just keeps destroying," said this old man with white hair and leathery olive-complected skin. "I remember over thirty years ago, there was a dam, right here. And then it was destroyed. A wave of water raced down the Nile Valley. Cairo was washed away."

"We have peace now," said the merchant. "Our Militia is basically just a glorified marching band and gun club wearing old Southern Cross gear. Some of the young men like to play soldier, though."

"Playing soldier isn't as bad as being one," said the old man.

"I agree," said Doc. "I was a combat medic during the war with the Masters. There were so many I could not save."

"Be grateful for your life," said the old man.

"Sometimes that is difficult for me," replied Doc.

"Well, I certainly enjoyed your food," I said to the merchant, "as well as this little chat."

"I learned a lot," said Itzak.

"May you grow up in peace," said the old man.

"Thank you," Itzak replied.

I hoped he grew up in peace as well.

Ooooooooo

We headed back to our camp, in an isolated area a few klicks from the town called Aswan. I checked up on the bikes.

"How was your little shopping trip?" asked Gabe, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"It was great," I replied. "I wish there were some designer clothes for sale, though, along with a purse. I did buy these."

"What's that?" asked Laureline, looking at the clothes I bought in Aswan.

"Some of the ladies cover themselves entirely around here. It might help us blend in better if we have to go to a town or city."

"I liked the hummus," said Itzak.

"Did you hear anything on the radio?" asked Doc.

"Nothing new, except for radio stations," answered Gabe. "Resistance cells operating in Egypt would not shout it over the airwaves."

"Doc, have you ever been to Egypt?" asked Laureline.

"Last time it was over ten years ago," he replied. "I was on my way to start my training as a Special Forces combat medic. I was at the airport in Alexandria for two hours before I caught my connecting flight to this land called Texas. No checking out the bazaars or the pyramids."

"What's the game plan?" asked Doc.

"We head north," replied Gabe. "We stick to the edge of the farmland in the Nile Valley. There's a port in Alexandria at the mouth of the Nile and there might be some undercover resistance agents."

"Might," I said. "Maybe."

"That's the best we have had. The fog of war. If Expeditionary Command had better intel, I would not be here."

"There must have been a change of leadership after that disaster," said Laureline.

"Yeah, the admiral in charge of Expeditionary Command; she was a war hero from the war with the Zentraedi and a captain during the early exploration missions. I would not be surprised if the Council or Supreme Command removed her because of that disaster."

I saw this haunted look in Gabe's eyes. It could be memories of that battle and the whole of Titan Squadron being wiped out by the Regency.

Or was it his fear that we may all get killed in our next battle with the Invid?

Ooooooooooooo

It was the next day when we saw something interesting.

I looked in the direction towards the Nile. I could see the wide expanse of farmland with their green crops, the Nile River with little sailboats floating, as well as a few villages. Tall towers held up electrical lines.

I also saw a pyramid. Though I was not an expert in history, I remembered hearing that pyramids were built in the dozens in ancient Egypt.

What I was seeing is a pyramid with scaffolding surrounding it and a hydraulic crane standing overhead. Apparently, workers were covering the brown pyramid with these white stone blocks.

"Wow," I said, looking through some binoculars.

"People rally around symbols," said Laureline, standing next to me. "Especially in these chaotic times."

I had to agree with her.

Later that night, we set up camp in this remote area maybe a few klicks away from the bank of the Nile. We slept in our sleeping bags.

When it was my turn, Laureline woke me up.

"Time for you to take watch," she said.

I crawled out of the sleeping bag I shared with Gabe and got dressed. I made sure to secure my CVR-03 armor. I watched as Laureline crawled into her own sleeping bag. I looked around, seeing the stars above, the lights of a town in the distance. I glanced at Gabe, who was sound asleep.

I did a lot of thinking, as I usually did when standing watch. I often reflected on my journey along the Nile. It feels as if I had been doing that my whole life.

I heard a rustling sound and my ears perked. I held on to my rifle.

Who was it?

The Invid?

Some bandits?

I then saw a shape with glowing eyes, which ran off.

It was just some animal.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I glanced back to where Gabe and the others were sleeping.

I heard a faint noise.

I felt something trapping me. I was caught in a net.

Some armed men took our camp site. One of them was aiming a rifle at me.


	22. Who is Hadid?

I saw Gabe wake up. He was startled at the sight of a band of armed men surrounding us.

"Identify yourself," one of the men said in English.

"We're just traders," said Gabe.

"I know you are working to resist the Invid, Titan," said the man.

Titan was the radio callsign of our little crew, named after Gabe's squadron which was destroyed in combat with the Invid Regency over Earth.

"What do you want?"

"Not your lives..for now. You'd be dead if that was our goal. Identify yourself."

Gabe stayed in our sleeping bag. "Third Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines. I was a veritech combat pilot with Titan Squadron. I have been separated from my superiors after battle with the Invid Regency, and am now leading this crew to resist the Regency's occupation of Earth."

"Tell us how you got here," I heard a boy's voice say.

I looked and saw a boy with olive-complected skin and dark hair. He wore a red vest over a white shirt and some turban on his head, a style of clothing I saw back at that town called Aswan. He looked to be about Itzak's age.

Gabe started telling the brief story of our journey. It was more or less what we had been through.

He did leave out the part of finding those dinosaurs in that underground chamber, though.

"Interesting story," said the boy. "So the rest of your people here are from Earth, right?"

"Not me," I answered. "I am from Planet Glorie. I'm a privateer for Trans Galactic."

"What is a privateer?"

"Uh, we are private ships authorized by the United Nations to hunt down the ships of the Invid Regency for the protoculture."

"So like a pirate then."

"We're not pirates," I said. "What we do is legal. We are sanctioned by the U.N. Plenipotentiary Council."

"I know of Planet Glorie," said the boy. "It was the first planet with a breathable atmosphere to be discovered, and colonized, by humans from Earth."

"Not the whole planet, really- just a peninsula and the nearby islands."

"You have learned your history lessons well," said this older man wearing jeans, boots, and a collared shirt.

"I should introduce myself," said the boy. "Call me Hadid."

"Hello, Hadid," said Itzak, introducing himself.

"Itzak's been a great help to us," said Gabe. "Now, I must ask why you and your peeps are here. I mean, you did not bring some armed men to just suddenly surprise us in our sleep just to say hi to us."

"We want to help you," said Hadid. "We can help you link up with resistance groups to get you out of Egypt. They have spies here. Many of them sneak into and out of Egypt through the port in Alexandria. That is our royal capital, you know."

"Why do you want to help us?" asked Laureline.

"We are prisoners here," replied Hadid. "The Invid blockade Egypt. Only smugglers and Resistance spies have been able to leave- and even in many cases they never come back. The rest of us are prisoners even my…my Lord Pharaoh and his queen."

"We have been all but cut off from the rest of the world," said the older man. "My sister was not in Egypt when the Invid invaded. I have not heard from her these past twelve years. In any event, His Majesty the Pharaoh would love nothing more than for the Invid to lift the blockade so that we may trade freely with the rest of the world and the rest of the galaxy."

"But the Regency won't do that because otherwise humans would be able to form large enough armies to chase the Invid off the planet," said Gabe.

"That makes sense," said Hadid.

"Still, we Egyptians are at peace with the Invid," said the older man. "They even give us some protoculture in exchange for growing the Flowers, and using protoculture allowed us to achieve what was called a first world lifestyle."

"What is first world?" asked Hadid.

"I shall tutor you on that lesson, young m…Hadid."

"Can it really be peace if the Invid try to kill anyone who tries to leave?" asks Laureline.

"Perhaps not," said the older man. "Anyway, His Grace has no objection to humans resisting the Invid occupation, just as long as they resist it outside of Egypt. There are still too many scars from the war with the Masters of Robotech and the chaos here that followed."

"So if we leave Egypt," said Doc, "you will leave us alone."

"Yes," replied Hadid.

"I should introduce myself," said the older man. "I am Tariq."

"Are you his dad?" asked Itzak. "Or his uncle?"

"You can call me his mentor," replied Tariq. He spoke to one of the armed men in this language. He then handed Gabe something.

"What's this?" asked Gabe.

"A money order. You can cash it at any bank without ID. It should have sufficient funds for you on your trip to Alexandria. Georgious will escort you there."

"I am Georgious," said this dark-haired man. "I work with Tariq here."

"We'd better get some sleep before heading north," said Gabe. He looked at me. "You'd better improve your watch skills."

"Excuse me," I said.

"I mean, we're lucky we were found by people who wanted to help us," said Gabe. "I mean, we could have been ambushed by bandits or the Invid."

My eyes rolled back. "Oh, please," I replied.

Oooooooooo

We managed to cash the money order at a bank. It looked as most banks did, with a lobby with couches and a long desk where the bank tellers sat behind. It felt strange, as I had not been to a bank in a long time.

We went outside where we parked our bikes. Georgious had his own bike- a GR-001 Garland, in fact.

"Who are you people?" asked Gabe when he noticed Georgious had his own bike.

"Let us just say we are well equipped," he replied.

We drove north along a highway next to the Nile. I managed to see more of those pyramids, almost all of them covered in gleaming white stone. There were farms and towns nearby.

"This it," said Georgious. "The Nile Delta, the end of the Nile."

We continued for maybe half an hour of driving, sharing the road with other vehicles. Ahead of us, we could see some skyscrapers in the distance.

Georgious motioned to have us pull over the side of the road.

"There it is," he said. "Alexandria, capital of Egypt, home to one million people."

I looked at the wide expanse of the city. It was clearly larger than Khartoum or Aresburg or Primopolis.

We continued driving. Georgious led us on an exit off the freeway and onto the surface streets of Alexandria.

It looked like a typical urban street, with vehicles going back and forth. Lampposts lined the sidewalks where people walked along. Traffic was governed by traffic signals. Buildings arose on both sides, many behind parking lots. . There were signs on many of the buildings.

As we drove along, the buildings became taller and closer to the sidewalk. Instead of parking lots, there were parking garages, which I suspect charged a fee.

Turning onto another street, I noticed the buildings were designed to look pleasing to the eye.

Georgious had us stop along a street. I could see an ornate gate along a wall, with two men guarding it. Behind the wall was this large building made of marble. At the very top was some sort of flag. This building clearly screamed wealth and power loud enough to be heard all over Egypt.

"That is the Pharaoh's Palace," said Georgious. "it was only completed five years ago. I remember being at the dedication."

"Who are those men?" asked Itzak.

"The guards at the gate. They are Mamluks. They guard the Pharaoh, His Majesty's family, and his Palace."

I studied the two Mamluks. They were this red coat over their torsos and baggy blue trousers. They were armed with a sword and a pistol.

"Alexandria, and all of Egypt, used to be the crossroads of the Mediterranean and the lands to the South. If the Invid were to leave, this land may very well be a crossroads again."

Just then, I saw some Invid mecha fly overhead, maybe about a hundred meters or so above the roof of the Palace.

"We had better go," said Georgious.

And so we followed him.

Oooooooo

"Well, Laureline," I said, "we can finally go shopping."

"Let us see what we could buy," she said.

We had followed Georgious through the streets of Alexandria. The buildings became less..well decorative after leaving the district where the Pharaoh's Palace was located.

After maybe half an hour, we had arrived at this neighborhood that Georgious called Greektown, located next to the waterfront. I looked around, noticing that many of the storefront signs were written in this writing eerily similar to the English alphabet. We parked our bikes in this parking lot off what was Greektown's main drag.

We were in this shopping center. The core of it was this open air courtyard with trees and benches. The sky above us had huge clouds. We were surrounded by shops selling various things. The courtyard had this used look to it.

And so Laureline and I went through the shops, checking out the merchandise. It was nice experiencing the comforts of civilization, especially restrooms with running sinks and flush toilets. We both knew that soon we would leave for the untamed wilderness. We visited some of the shops, including this boutique clothing store with so many clothes on racks. This Greek music was being played over the speakers.

Laureline came out of one of the dressing rooms, wearing this brown dress with yellow spots.

"It looks great," I said. "You're gonna have beat off the guys with a stick."

"Thank you," she replied.

We went out to the courtyard. I looked and saw Gabe waving. I noticed Tariq and Hadid were sitting with him, Itzak, and Doc at this table.

"Enjoy your little shopping trip?" asked Gabe.

"Yeah, I sure did," I replied. "Sure, this isn't the mall at Primopolis, but.."

"How about we get some food?" asked Tariq.

"Yeah, I'm hungry," replied Itzak.

And so we ate. We bought some salad which had greens and olives and onions and tomatoes and this crumbly white cheese, some calamari and this thing called souvlaki, which were basically meat chunks on a stick. We also had these things called spanakopitas, which were these pastries filled with spinach and mushrooms.

"Here she is," said Tariq.

I saw a woman wearing a long dress and a headdress walk to us. She said something to Tariq and Hadid.

"My name is Rebekah," said the woman

My eyes widened upon hearing her name.

"Third Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines," said Gabe, introducing himself.

"Tariq told me about your situation," said Rebekah, speaking English with an accent different than the accent most people spoke in this part of the world. "I can get you out of Egypt. There are resistance cells up north, in Greece. A boat is scheduled for tonight and the captain is expecting all of you, and your bikes."

"What about you?" I asked the three Egyptians with us."

"My place is here," said Tariq. "I do not wish to take up arms in combat again, but if this helps us get the Invid to at least lift the blockade, increase the chances of finding out what happened to my sister.."

I then saw some men in Cyclone armor walk in. Most everyone in this courtyard were looking at them, and some were taking pictures. It was obvious they were not here for shopping or for eating souvlaki.

"The Mamluks," said Tariq.

"Mamluks?" asked Gabe. "You mean those royal guards? Are they after us?"

"They are here for me," said Hadid. He stood and looked at us, standing between us and the Mamluks. "I am Prince Hadid, second son of His Majesty the Pharaoh. Tariq here is my royal tutor."

That was a surprise.


	23. Cause Every Little Thing

This was an interesting development.

This boy Hadid, who was helping us leave Egypt, helping those resisting the Invid occupation of Earth, was none other than a Prince of Egypt!

"His Highness is right," said Tariq.

Hadid spoke with this middle-aged lady in a rouge dress who accompanied the Mamluks.

"It seems I must go now," said Tariq, with this resigned tone in his voice. "Perhaps I can get a job teaching at a school in a remote village."

Laureline then walked towards the prince. Two of the Mamluks stepped forward.

She bent forward and slightly pulled up the hem of her dress.

"It was an honor to meet you, your Highness," she said.

"Bye, Prince Hadid," said Itzak.

The Mamluks withdrew with Prince Hadid and Tariq in tow. I looked and saw them get into a marked SUV with emergency lights. The Cyclone-clad Mamluks transformed their Cyclones into motorcycle mode and moved out, their sirens blaring and lights flashing. I also noticed some Garland battloid with the same paint scheme as the SUV's and Cyclones. They too transformed into cycle mode.

I went back into the courtyard. We were all thankful the Mamluks were only interested in recovering their wayward prince, and not trying to take us into custody.

"Hey, mon," I heard someone say, in an accent very much different from the local accents.

I looked and saw a man in a green jacket. He had skin as dark as Doc's,. and wore his hair in dreadlocks.

"Hermes," said Rebekah.

"Did I miss something?"

"Nothing of importance," replied Rebekah. "Here are your passengers."

"You said there were five passengers," said Hermes.

"Wait, where's Doc?" asked Laureline.

"Our bokes are safe," said Doc, walking into the courtyard.

"Hermes here is the captain of the ship that will take us out of Egypt," said Rebekah.

"Then I should introduce myself," said Doc. "Alazar Aboudi, the team medic. My friends call me Doc."

"Pleasure to meet you, Alazar Aboudi," said Hermes. "Maybe I be calling you Doc someday."

"Third Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines," said Gabe. "I'm in command of this little outfit."

"I am Laureline," said Laureline.

"I'm Itzak," said Itzak.

I introduced myself.

"Then I be escortin' you to the docks," said Hermes. "Let us be on our way."

And so we were. We all got on our bikes. Hermes rode on his own bike; we drove down the streets for maybe a minute or so and soon we were at the docks.

It looked like a typical dock, with boats at the docks as well as warehouses where cargo would be stored. It was much larger that the dock at the island, but it was smaller than the docks at Primopolis.

"Here be my boat," said Hermes, standing on front of a gangway leading to the deck. "We leave."

I stepped on the gangway. I saw Laureline just standing on the dock.

"You know, I've never left Africa before," she said. "I wish my brother could have had a chance to travel the world, travel the galaxy."

She then walked up the gangplank.

Hermes's ship was not a luxury cruise ship, that was for sure. We stored our bikes in the cargo hold. I also noticed canisters of protoculture.

"The captain is inviting you to the bridge," said a crewman, an olive-skinned man with dark hair, wearing a blue jacket.

And so I did. I went to the bridge, which was this small room with all sorts of navigation equipment. Hermes and Rebekah were already standing inside. Hermes was wearing this wool cap with a red, yellow, and green stripe. Rebnekah had removed her headdress. He had black, curly hair with some gray in it.

"Welcome to my ship," said Hermes. "It ain't much, but it's home."

"How do you know Hermes here?" I asked Rebekah.

"We've been doing business with him the past five years or so, transporting weapons and supplies and people," answered Rebekah. "I actually served with one of his childhood friends from Jamaica back during the War with the Masters."

"That be right," said Hermes. "Jamaica be the land of my birth."

"Where's Jamaica?" asked Gabe. "Is it one of the islands in the Mediterranean?"

"Oh no, it actually is in the Caribbean, mon. How I managed to get to Egypt is a long, twelve-year story. And to think I used to work pharmaceutical security." Hermes glanced at the navigation instruments. "Now I smuggle protoculture, weapons, and passengers. Everything be ready."

I then heard some music play.

 _Don't worry._

 _About a thing._

 _Every little thing_

 _Is gonna be all right_

"What's that?" asked Itzak.

"Bob Marley," replied Hermes. "One of the musicians of legend. Even now, he influences music around the world."

I then felt the ship move.

"We are off," said Hermes.

We were leaving Egypt- and Africa.

Ooooooooooo

I was feeling stressed.

I was checking on our bikes down in the cargo hold even as Gabe was with Hermes and Rebekah in the bridge. Itzak was helping me.

I felt my stomach churn. I went up to the deck and threw up into the waters of the Mediterranean.

"You don't look good," said Itzak.

"I haven't been on a ship in the ocean in a long time," I said.

I did not recall feeling this way on the hover ferry between the Island and the Mainland on Glorie. Then I recalled that as a hover ferry, it would not be rocked by the waters, while this boat had contact with the water.

I wish we could have left on a clear day.

"Anything wrong?" asked Doc.

"The motion of this boat makes me feel sick," I said.

"Sea sickness," he replied. "Caused by the motion of the fluids in your inner ear. I know of this guy who was dropped from Special Forces training due to motion sickness."

"We should be way past the blockade line by now," said itzak. "No sign of the Invid yet."

The Regency was primarily concerned with large ships carrying hundreds of troops or hundreds of tons of supplies. They did not look too hard for small ships. Indeed, Hermes had been sneaking past Invid blockades for years now.

I glanced at itxak. I could see an expression on his face that something was wrong.

" Invid are approaching," he said.

"Tell Gabe and Hermes to expect a fight," I said to Itzak.

I went down to the cargo hold, strapped on my CVR-03 Armor, and then got into my VR-038 Cyclone and transformed it into armor mode. I went out on the deck.

Gabe and Laureline joined me, all clad in their Cyclone armor. Doc joined us soon afterward, inside his Garland battloid.

"I see the Invid," said Laureline.

"Why am I not surprised," said Gabe even as an alarm sounded.

I then saw some blasts coming from the sky.

The mecha of the Invid Regency were attacking this ship. We all returned fire.

It was still difficult. We had more room to maneuver than the time we fought the Invid from that boat we used to sail down the Nile, as this ship was at least three times bigger- but the room we had was not much more.

I saw one of the Regency mecha falls into the ocean after I cfired on it. I just hoped I tuned these machines enough that we did not end up dying a watery death, not after the struggle we made to make it this far.

Move and shoot. Move and shoot.

Like a video game, except I only had one life and no continues or resets.

After what seemed to be a very long time, the attack was over.

"Let's check on everyone," said Gabe. We all went to the bridge.

It was a complete mess. All of the instruments and equipment were broken. I could see sparks coming from a busted panel.

"This is bad," said Doc. "We might not be able to steer he ship without repairs."

"That is not all that's beyond repair," I heard a voice say.

I looked and saw Hermes, with this mortal grimace on his face.

"Let me check," said Doc even as Hermes lay down. He did his examination.

I only needed to see the look on Doc's face to know what the news was.

"Before sunrise, I will face the Lord Jesus," said Hermes. "My pocket."

I reached into his pocket. I pulled out a joint and a lighter.

"I need that, please," said the dying man. I lit the joint and he took a few deep puffs. The expression on his face changed; he was at peace.

"Come on, man," said Gabe. "Don't die."

I heard Rebekah say this prayer in this language.

He then started singing.

" _Don't worry._

 _About a thing._

 _Every little thing_

 _Is gonna be all right"_

Then Hermes breathed his last.


	24. The Untold Story

I felt a shudder.

I raced up to the deck of the ship.

On one side I could see the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

On the other side I could see land, shrouded under the darkness of the night. I could hear the sounds of waves crashing onto the shoreline.

It was just a night after the Invid Regency's attack on Hermes's ship, an attack which killed the ship captain and his crew. We gave them a burial at sea.

"May the currents take your body to your homeland," said Rebekah. "and may the currents of heaven take your soul to our Lord God HaShem."

Gabe looked out the deck. "For the record, we have run aground," he said. "We'll need to scout the area."

"I'll check it out," I said.

"Then I should go with you," said Rebekah. "You can use an extra pair of eyes."

"Thanks," said Gabe.

I got into my Cyclone armor. I then carried Rebekah as I got off the ship and onto dry land. I felt sand underneath my feet.

I was looking around and listening and even smelling. There could be hostiles here- Invid or otherwise.

"Come here!" yelled Rebekah.

I went to where she was. "What is it?" I asked.

She showed me this old metal sign lying down on the sand, with this foreign writing.

"We are on a beach in Israel," she said. "About twenty-seven klicks south of the ruins of Haifa."

"Gabe," I said to the mic on my radio. "We confirmed that we ran aground on the shore of Israel."

"You two return to the ship," said Gabe.

And so we did.

Ooooooooooooo

We were back on the ship, reiterating to Gabe and the others where we ran aground. "This is what we know," said Gabe. "We don't have the parts needed to repair this ship. We'll need to head to a friendly base, either to get supplies and assistance to make this ship seaworthy, or to relocate our base of operations."

"I do know the location of a friendly base less than half a day's journey from here," said Rebekah. "I suppose I should introduce myself formally. Sergeant Major Rebekah Avital, Israeli Defense Force."

"Israeli Defense Force?" asked Laureline.

"We defend Israel," replied the Sergeant Major. "Israel never surrendered to the Invid. We have been resisting them for twelve years."

"And what is your role?" asked Doc.

"I work security recon," said Rebekah. "It is one of the most important functions of the IDF. We need to what the Invid and their allies are up to. I've had to travel to other places along the Med to meet with our deep cover agents. Hermes was one of the smugglers we used. One of our best. Tariq and Prince Hadid have been known to the IDF for at least a year."

I saw Gabe enter; I had not noticed he stepped out. "Sun's coming up," he said. "We can maximize our chances of avoiding detection by the Regency if we travel at night."

"Then we should get some sleep," said Itzak.

"You can sleep in the captain's stateroom, Sergeant Major," said Gabe. "You did hook us up with that ride."

"Thank you," replied the Sergeant Major.

And so we went to sleep.

Ooooooooo

"It looks dark enough", said Gabe, standing on the deck.

The sky was a dark purple, with the last remnants of daylight fading. I could still remember looking out during the daytime. The place was eerily quiet. I could see the ruins of some buildings in the distance.

We went down into the ship.

"Everyone have a good night..er, day's sleep?:" asked Gabe.

"Sort of," said Itzak.

"We had better go," said Rebekah.

And so we did.

We all got down from the boat and into our bikes. The Sergeant Major did not have her own bike, so she rode behind Doc on his GR-002 Strike Garland veritech hovercycle. We were on alert, not just from any hazards on the ground, but any up the air.

"What I would not give for an Alpha," muttered Gabe.

Rebekah had once mentioned that before the War with the Masters, it was possible to drive a car between north and south in less than four hours. At night, with no lights, no assurance of the lack of debris on the roaDS, our travel was significantly slower.

It was slow going, and we were always at risk of ambush from the Invid.

There was something relaxing about driving a motorcycle. It did not seem as boring.

I preferred a peaceful motorcycle drive over a battle with the mecha of the Invid Regency.

I noticed Doc coming to a stop. I looked around and it seemed as if it was less than an hour before sunrise.

"We might need a place to hide out during the daytime," said Gabe, getting off his Cyclone.

"The Invid are far from here," said Itzak. "But they can be upon us soon."

"We should be very close to the base," said Rebekah. "I can lead you there."

"Okay, Sergeant Major," said Gabe. "Lead the way."

And so she did. We continued driving for maybe about half an hour.

We were at some ruins. I could see the remains of walls and chimneys as the sky was getting brighter.

"I see scorch marks," said Laureline. I looked at a wall and could definitely see this black mark, even in this dim light. "there was a battle here."

"We'd better hurry," said Rebekah. "There may be survivors."

We all got into our Cyclone armor and the Sergeant Major led the way. She led us down this ramp. I could feel my footsteps echo on the hard surface.

Gabe shone a flashlight. I could see wreckage.

Rebekah muttered something. She then called out in this language.

I spotted a human corpse on the floor with my flashlight, resulting in me dropping it.

"Are you all right?" asked Gabe.

"Fine," I replied. "I just saw a dead body."

"Look here," called out Itzak.

I picked up my flashlight, shining it on him. I could see him holding the severed arm of an Invid mecha.

"Stay alert, peeps," said Gabe.

"We had better look for survivors," said Doc.

We all called out.

I then heard someone call out in that language Rebekah was speaking. She replied in a similar language.

A flashlight shone on the Sergeant Major's face. I shone a flashlight, and it revealed the face of a boy who looked only a few years older than Itzak did.

"Come with us," said Rebekah.

And so we did, always on alert in case the Invid decide to return and finish the job.

We went through some corridors, lit only by our flashlights and some flickering lights from the ceiling.

"This place looks old," said Laureline. "It looks like it was built long before the Invid Invasion."

"For decades, we were surrounded by neighbors that wanted to destroy us," replied Rebekah. "We developed the habit of being crazy prepared."

The young man leading us said something.

The room was dimly lit. There were shelves with various sorts of supplies. Draped along the wall was this flag with a white background, blue stripes on the top and bottom, and a six-pointed star in the center. I could see several people on the floor; all of them having bandages. Two people were tending to their wounds.

"I'm a combat medic," said Doc. "Let me take a look."

Rebekah said something to the two ersatz nurses, and Doc arrived to help.

"We'd better scout this area while Doc helps these wounded," said Gabe.

And so I did. I was on alert for any Invid stragglers.

I went into this large chamber. The fighting here was fierce, and I could smell the corpses. I noticed the floor was wet, the water must have been a half centimeter deep. Shining my flashlight, there was some sort of plant matter.

I knew what this was.

It was a hydroponics chamber.

I remembered reading about those things. They were utilized on the first human extraterrestrial settlement, on Earth's moon, over half a century ago. Dad once mentioned that hydroponics were used to grow food during the SDF-1 Campaign.

The people of Israel were definitely crazy prepared.

But not crazy prepared enough to repel an Invid attack. The damage to this underground base was extensive, and Israel's Defense Forces were dealt a painful blow.

I searched around. There was battle damage, and corpses, some so mangled it would be hard to tell that they were once human.

I made my way back to the room where the wounded were being treated.

"They lost another one," said Doc.

"I saw some hydroponics equipment," I said. "It looked badly damaged."

"That is bad," I heard a female voice say.

I looked at her. She was this dark-haired girl, who appeared no older than I was. She was wearing this armored doublet.

"I introduce me," she said. "Lieutenant Judith Sharavi, Israeli Defense Force. I command this place now."

I felt a shudder.

It was fairly obvious how she ended up in command of this place. I introduced myself.

"My English no good," said Sharavi. "Sergeant Major Avital tell me you no speak Hebrew."

Rebekah had some words with the young lieutenant.

She then walked off.

I saw her using a laptop.

"What are you doing?" asked Gabe.

"Just sending a message," replied the Sergeant Major. "I need to tell headquarters about my situation."

"How are you getting past the radio jamming by the Invid?" asked Laureline.

"I am using the Internet."

"The Internet?" I asked. "How can it work if the Invid are jamming long range radio transmissions?"

"The data is being transferred by underground cables," said Rebekah. "The first of the Internet transmission cables were laid long before I was born."

"When was that?" asked Itzak.

"I was born the day that Robotech ship crashed into Earth," she answered.

"I definitely remember hearing about that," I said. "My dad said he was in the second grade when that happened."

"Anyway, we use Internet not just to communicate with the IDF, but other Resistance groups- the Maquis, the Fist of Darius, the Roman Legion, Black Mesa, many others."

"Yeah, I guess the Regency can't just tear up the surface just to look for underground cables," said Gabe.

"We get a picture of Invid activity across the globe," said Rebekah. "The E.V.E. helps coordinate us."

"What is that?" asked Laureline.

"The Enhanced Video Emulation system," replied the Sergeant Major. "An experimental military computer developed over twenty years ago. Its purpose was to coordinate military forces across the globe. I remember when it coordinated our defense against one of the first attacks by the Robotech Masters, sixteen years ago."

"Sixteen years?" asked Gabe. "It couldn't have been that long ago."

"It was two years before the Masters' main fleet arrived," said Rebekah. "They sent an advance scout force. They started by attacking a training facility near Vladivostok in Russia. I was there. I was in the U.N. Army at the time, attached to a veritech armor unit."

"I have heard of Russia," said Gabe. "They used to be one of the big players in the old United Earth Government."

"Yes, they were. Anyway, they captured some soldiers, including Colonel B.D. Andrews- he was my company captain when I was first assigned to an active duty unit after I graduated armor school. The Masters murdered him and replaced him with a clone to undermine our defense. A few days later, he was exposed. The E.V.E was placed online to coordinate an attack against the scout force's mothership and I was part of the force that took down their mothership, causing it to crash in the Siberian region of Russia."

"That only convinced the Masters to bring their main fleet and attack in full force," said Laureline.

"Yes," said Rebekah. "They caused so much suffering. They captured Andrews and murdered him. How can that be forgiven?"

"I don't know," said Gabe. "Tirol was ruled by some really bad guys. Their subjects, as well as everyone else, were little more than cattle to them. I never knew that, though. About that battle."

"It was classified at the time. Had I told anyone back then what I told you just now, I would still be spending twenty-three hours a day inside a two by two-and-a-half meter cell."

"Great story you told us," I said to Rebekah. "So what now?"

"Right now, we have wounded. I will have to discuss this with Lieutenant Sharavi. We had better get some rest. There is one thing I must do though."

"What?" asked Gabe.

"Hermes has family and friends in Jamaica. We have access to Internet servers there. I served in the war with one of his childhood friends. I will inform him of the sad news."

Rebekah began typing.

"You were in the United Nations Army?" asked Itzak.

"Yes."

"My dad was in the Army. He was a sergeant, Southern Cross, 213th Infantry Battalion."

"When I was discharged from the Army, I was a master sergeant, Southern Cross, 6th ATAC Battalion Headquarters. After that I enlisted in the Israeli Defense Force." Rebekah looked at the screen. "There. Hermes's friends and family will get the sad news. May they receive HaShem's Comforting Grace. "

We went back to what I thought of as the main room. Doc and Sharavi and another soldier were gathered around the one who recently died. Sharavi was saying something in Hebrew.

It was time to get some rest. We all went to this common area. Rebekah had stayed with Lieutenant Sharavi.

"How are you feeling?" I asked Itzak.

"Tired," he replied. "I can't…I can't remember my dad's face. I don't have a picture."

"What do you mean?"

"I try to remember what he looked like, and I just..can't."

I looked at him. Sometimes I had to remind myself that he was a boy who lost his father and his home less than a year ago, even though that already seemed so long ago. Come to think of it, my own memories of my childhood in the Commonwealth, an d my time at the Tirol Aerospace Academy, seemed distant, as if all I could recall was an annotated summary, instead of a full playback.

I put my hand on his shoulder. "I wish I knew what to say," I said.


	25. A Rainy Night

Always wary that the Invid Regency may come back to finish the job, we did an assessment of the whole Israeli base- the damage to the facility, the supplies, weapons, and equipment we had on hand.

We found too many dead bodies.

Finally, we all gathered in the main room.

"There's only maybe three days' worth of food at most," said the Israeli soldier.

"Hydroponics tank is shot," I said. "We don't have the equipment here to repair it."

"Our patients here," said Doc. "Their injuries are bad. If there was a place we could taken them, we will have to risk moving them."

Lieutenant Judith Sharavi then spoke with Sergeant Major Rebekah Avital in Hebrew. She then said somethingin Hebrew.

"I need talk to Sergeant Major alone," said Sharavi.

"What is our plan?" Laureline asked Gabe.

"We wait for now," replied Gabe.

And so that was what we did. There was not much to do except play games of cards from this deck of cards we found in the barracks. We had to do something to get off edge. I looked at Itzak; he seemed to be happy now.

Rebekah then spoke to us.

"We have a decision," she said.

We all went to the main room. Lieutenant Sharavi was there.

"We can not stay," she said. "We must go to New Masada."

"New Masada?" asked Gabe.

"The IDF provisional headquarters, located in the hills just west of the shore of the Dead Sea," replied the Sergeant Major. "Heavily fortified, with many tunnels and secret entrances."

"We are going with you," said Gabe.

"We could use that ten-ton truck in the garage as an ambulance," said doc. "I will have to be in the back with my patients."

"Lieutenant Gashtar, I must ask permission to borrow your Strike Garland, as Doc will be inside the ambulance," said Rebekah.

"Permission granted, Sergeant Major."

"Thank you, sir."

With Doc supervising, we carefully loaded the three wounded soldiers into the back of the ten-ton truck. I made a quick cursory look at the engine and instruments, tuning up whenever I could; the truck looked like we could drive it. I noticed the truck was made by Toyota Motor Company, a company that was evacuated from Earth twelve years ago.

After that, Gabe, itzak,Laureline, and I were on our bikes. Rebekah was sitting on top Doc's GR-002 Strike Garland veritech combat hovercycle. Lieutenant Sharavi got onto her own GR-001 Garland veritech combat motorcycle.

Sharavi gave a hand signal to the soldier driving the truck, and we moved out, leaving the bunker via a ramp. We went outdoors. The clouds above were raining upon us hard. I could feel some of the rain seeping under my CVR-03 armor.

One of us- either Gabe or Laureline or Sharavi or me, would move on ahead. If the coast was clear, we would signal the truck to move forward. We kept repeating this pattern even through this heavy downpour.

This was slow. We were averaging 5 kph, what with the darkness, the rain, and always having to check for an ambush from hostiles.

We spent many hours trekking through the land of Israel. It seemed endless.

I hoped that at least this rain would stop.

Itzak drove up behind us. "Invid!" he yelled. "They're approaching behind us!"

"Okay, peeps," said Gabe. "Let's prepare for battle. We cover the truck at all costs."

Gabe, Laureline, and I transforfmed our Cyclones into armor mode. Lieutenant Judith Sharavi and Sergeant Major Rebekah Avital transformed the Garlands and became encased inside the battloids. We opened fire at the approaching Invid mecha. I think I saw one of them go down before they closed in.

There were wounded inside the truck. Doc could not fight, as he had to look over his patients. We had to keep the invid distracted, and away from him.

Those of us on Cyclones frequently shifted modes, using our manuevuierability to keep the Regency mecha occupied, even while firing blasts at their direction.

Our battle with the Invid mecha was like a dance of death. The two Garland battloids provided the heavy firepower this time. I saw an invid mecha go down.

Then I noticed one of the Garlands taking a direct blast. I looked and saw a Regency war machine with two cannons mounted on the shoulders. That was what was called a shocktrooper, with more firepower thant the troopers we were fighting.

"You!" it said. I kept moving even as the shocktrooper fired upon me. The ground around me exploded, kicking up dirt.

As I continued moving around, both in armor and cycle mode, I noticed that thing was coming after me, specifically, and not the truck nor Gabe and the others.

Who was that?

Why does this guy keep coming after me?

I kept moving around, firing back, knowing that my next moment could be my last.

I managed to blast one of the shoulder cannons. I quickly noticed smoke coming out of one of the shoulders.

This shocktrooper was still dangerous even with one functioning shoulder cannon. I continued the dance, moving around even as we fired upon each other.

We kept moving and moving.

And there was amnother blast! The shocktroopers other shoulder cannon was a smoking ruin. It then flew away, retreating from us. I looked and saw the Struike Garland battloid, standing in the rain. For a moment I thought that was Doc, before remembering that he was inside the truck with the wounded.

"Thanks," I said to Rebekah.

The Invid were either taken down or withdrew.

"Doc says the patients are still alive," said Gabe.

Rebekah opened up the damaged GR-001 Garland battloid. I could see a mangled body inside.

That was Lieutenant Judith Sharavi.

The others and I removed our helmets and looked at the dead girl. Rebekah said a quick prayer in Hebrew. It was so sad. She could not have been more than twenty-five years old. She might not have even reached her twentieth birthday.

"Lieutenant Gashtar, we should continue," she said.

"Let's move out!" announced Gabe.

And so we did, leaving Lieutenant Sharavi behind, as the sky rained down.

Ooooooooooo

We continued our trek towards this place that Rebekah called the Dead Sea.

"The rain stopped," said Itzak.

I opened the visor of my helmet. I did not feel any raindrops hitting my face. I looked around; we weerre on a rough road in the middle of the forest.

"Where are we now?" Gabe asked Rebekah.

"we are on a road through the Judean Mountains," replied the Sergeant Major.

I looked in the back of the truck. Doc was with his two patients.

"Are they all right?" I asked.

"They are stable," replied Doc. "I would rather we get to our destination sooner."

We kept going, always on the lookout for the Regency. As we traveled, I noticed the trees were getting more sparse. There were no more trees, just bare rock as well as some low bushes and cactuses.

There were not many hiding spots for the Invid, though we were still on alert.

Eventually I saw a large body of blue water.

"There it is," said Rebekah. "The Dead Sea."

I sort of understood why she called it the Dead Sea. The land around it was desolate. There was very little plant cover.

"No wonder you want to hide here," said Laureline.

"It used to be a major resort area, over ten years ago," replied the Sergeant Major.

We continued along. We were now on this flat section. We would be able to see the Invid from a klick away. We continued, with the Dead Sea on our left.

They would be able to see us as well.

If the Regency were to attack, our only hope was that we could get reinforcements from the garrison at New Masada.

We kept going and going, with Sergeant Major Rebekah Avital leading the way.

I then saw some vehicles approach us on the road. As they got closer, I noticed there were two armored troop transports, escorted by VHT-1 Spartas veritech hovertanks and GR-001 Garland veritech combat motorcycles.

A man clad in an armored doublet approached us. Rebekah spoke to him in Hebrew; I figured he was the officer in command of this group.

"They will escort us to New Masada," said Rebekah.

And so we followed them. It was nice to have allies again. Still, we were warty of an ambush by the Invid.

We then approached this place with towers and turrets. I looked through mny binoculars and there were armed men manning them. This must be one of the entrances to this New Masada place.

We then in through a portal. The air inside was several degrees cooler than outside. I could see military police coming to greet us.

"I must debrief command," Rebekah said to the rest of us.

A soldier clad in rough gear spoke to us. "You are the guests," he said. "We can show you to temp quarters."

And so he did. The tempo quarters were just this bare room with some cots. I lay down on one of the cots.

Ooooo

There was not much to see here in New Masada. We were given a tour of the common arteas, including a recreation center with a pool hall, game tables, asnd video game consoles. We were shown the mess hall, with benches and tables and a window in the back where food was served.

"New Masada started operations in 1970," said a tour guide, a girl in a rough-looking uniform. "that was three years after Israel defeated its neighbors in a six day war."

1970.

That was long before my parents were born.

We went to the rec room and played some of the games there. Most of the soldiers did not speak very good English. Gabe and I played pool against these two soldiers named Aaron and Nadab. It took a few minutes, with Gabe and I ending up playing stripes.

In the end, Aaron and Nadab won.

"Good game," said Nadab, who spoke a little bit of English.

The two Israeli soldiers then looked stiff. I glanced at the entrance to the rec room and saw two IDF MP's with theier white helmets and armed with batons and pistols.

Accompanying the MP was a man who appeared to be in his late twenties. He looked to be an IDF officer.

"Lieutenant Gashtar," said the officer. "We must speak with you."

"Sure," repied Gabe, going with the men.

I decided to walk back to the temporary quarters.

"Where's Gabe?' asked Laureline.

"Our hosts want to talk to him," I replied.

Soon enough, though, it was my turn. I spoke to the officer inside this small office. He introduced himself as Major Amir.

I told him my story, of becoming a privateer for Trans Galactic, how the _Golden Eagle_ was destroyed in orbit over Earth, how I crash landed in Africa, meeting Gabe and the others, and traveling from the Serengeti to Egypt.

And I was asked for more details.

"You may go," said the major after about a half hour of questioning. "The military police shall escort you to the temp quarters."

And so they did. They took us for questioning, one by one- even Itzak.

Rebekah entered the room. "We will feed you in the officers' mess," she said.

And so we ate there, sitting at the table. They served this paste which was hummus made from chickpeas grown in a hydroponic tank, along with some lamb meat. After our meal, we made use of the recreational facilities, playing more games.

"I wish they had a flight sim," said Gabe.

Ooooooooo

The next day, we got the news. We were escorted by the MPs to this conference room. It was a large room, with this painting of soldiers in desert gear.

At the head of the table was this uniformed man in his mid-fifties. He had dark hair, a beak-like nose, and a close-cropped white beard. Accompanying him were other soldiers, who were apparently assigned to his staff. Also sitting in the room was Sergeant Major Rebekah Avital.

"Lieutenant Gashtar," Said the man, "we have come to a decision. We deny your request billet you and your crew here in New Masada."

"Understood, sir," replied Gabe.

"Still, you did rescue two of our soldiers," replied the older man. "If you are tired of fighting the Invid, we can make arrangements for you to smuggle you to Egypt. Our deep cover agents there can help you transition to a civilian life. There are those in Pharaoh's government that sympathizes with our cause. Many of us too wounded to fight were relocated to Egypt."

"An offer of a peaceful life," said Gabe.

"You have done more than your share in our worldwide cause to chase the Invid off the planet," said the man. "Each of you can inform Sergeant Major Avital here of your decision; she has my ear."

We were escorted back to the temp quarters. We all sat on the cots.

"I am not surprised we would not be offered a permanent billet," said Gabe. "This place is hurting for supplies, especially as they are treating those wounded soldiers we brought here."

"A peaceful life in Egypt," said Itzak.

I looked at him. Maybe living quietly in Egypt is not that bad. They had all the comforts of civilization.

And yet, we would be prisoners there, unable to leave Egypt without risk of being killed by the Regency's blockade forces, the way Hermes was killed.

The way Judith Sharavi was killed.

There was no guarantee that the UEF would be able to liberate Earth soon, or ever.

"If any of you take the offer of Israel to be relocatedto Egypt," said Gabe, "there will be no hard feelings. The general was right. Each of you have done more than your share of fighting the Invid."

This offer was on our minds even as we had supper and used the recreation facilities, as well as having a hot shower, which was a luxury to me these days.

Oooooooooooooo

Our decision was made.

And my decision is to stand with Gabe.

We were all in the garage. The IDF has provided us with the ten-ton Toyota truck, as well as food and weapons and ammunition and medical supplies.

We would continue our fight against the Invid Regency.

Sergeant Major Rebekah Avital approached us. She looked at Itzak.

"Do you want to go with them?" she asked.

"They are the family I have," replied Itzak.

"I want to thank your people here for their hospitality," said Gabe. "We are heading east; there are leads regarding Resistance operations, including a fighter wing."

"May the blessings of our Lord God HaShem be with you all," replied Rebekah.

Itzak and I got into the cab of the truck. Gabe and the others rode out of the garage, and I followed them. Within minutes, we were out at the daylight, with the waters of the Dead Sea in the distance.


	26. Dreams of Shadow

"How are you feeling?" I asked Doc.

"I still feel like lying down," replied Doc,

I put my hand on his forehead, which still felt warm.

It was never good when the team medic is sick.

I looked at my surroundings. We were in this cave, with the walls and floor made up of red rocks. We had arrived here a few days ago. We located a nearby spring, and there were animals to hunt. The most notabler thing abnout this cave was what was in it. There was this huge skeleton, that looked like a human skeleton, except that it was about ten meters long. It was from a full-sized Zentraedi from the first war. Whether this particular Zentraedi had been friend or foe was information lost to us. Ever since leaving New Masada in Israel, our routine was simple, find a camping spot with a suitable source of food and water, scout the area to find the next suitable spot, relocate our gear there.

We also made contact with hamlets and villages. Some warily welcomed strangers, others simply shut their gates.

We did not force our way anywhere. A conflict between them and the United Earth Forces, of which Gabe was an officer in their Space Marines, would give neutral communities an incentive to formally ally with the Invid Regency.

"Nobody responded to our radio transmissions," said Laureline, looking at the radio.

"And we do not dare transmit too often," replied Gabe. "The Regency might be listening."

"at least we still have plenty of food in addition to what we can hunt," said Itzak.

"Yeah, they did give us medical supplies in exchange for Doc treating that sick boy."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," I said.

"Now we are using up medical supplies to treat Doc."

I recalled a few days ago when we arrived at this village that was maybe eighty or so klicks from this cave. It was a simple village, with simple box-shaped buildings. We hope to trade some stuff to be able to sleep in a real bed.

There was this sick boy, about four years old. Doc helped, using some of our medical supplies. After a while, the child was on the road to recovery.

For that we were rewarded with a meal plus some extra preserved food for our journey. We were offered residency on the condition we give up our fight against the Invid.

We declined.

We learned some more things. The Flower of Life grows heavily near this river called Euphrates, and there is an Invid Hive in the ruins of this city called Baghdad. There was a survivor from there; according to her, it was worse than when the Mongols sacked Baghdad in the year known as 1258 in the Gregorian calendar.

I heard of these Mongols before- one of the ancient empires of old, like Incans or the Romans, and I heard their leaders were called khans, but that was the extent of my knowledge.

"Hey, babe," said Gabe, "it's patrol time for you."

"sure," I replied. I glanced at Doc. "Take care."

"Not much eklse I can do now," our medic replied.

So I oput on my CVR-03 Power armor and went out. The air was cool, and I could feel a was nothing out of the ordinary so far. I kept checking the ground for any unusual tracks.

Patrol was boring almost all the time. And yet, I wanted it to stay boring.

When it got excited, my life, Gabe's life, our lives were at risk.

I opened the visor of my helmet. I took a few deep breaths.

Then some sand was blowing into me. I closed my visor and sneezed.

Scouting and patrolling were not exactly the most comfortable of tasks. Anyway, I stayed alert. Only once or twice did I see something moving, but it just turned out to be some animal.

Eventually, it was time to go back. I reported back and then headed to our camp site inside the cave.

"Time for our humble leader to go out on patrol," said Gabe, putting on his CVR-03.

"I'm tired," I said as I removed my gear. "I need to sleep."

And so that was what I did as I settled in my sleeping bag.

Oooooooooo

"Good morning," I heard.

I woke up and got out of bed.

 _Bed?_

I woke up, seeing Gabe lie next to me. I felt a wave of confusion, as I briefly forgot how I gopt here.

"What am I doing here?" I asked. "I thought we were all in that cave."

"Cave?" asked Gabe. "Let's just eat breakfast for now. Both of us will be busy."

I went to the kitchen, preparing myself a quick breakfast. Not anything fancy, I had to get to work.

 _What is this place? This is not like any kitchen I've seen. And how can that be Gabe? Isn't Gabe human?_

"You look distracted, honey," said Gabe.

"Oh, it was just a dream I had," I replied.

"What kind of dream? About us having our own hive?"

 _Our own hive?_

"No, we were on this planet occupied by enemy aliens. But we were also aliens, you, Laureline, Doc, Itzak. They were like hiding , only coming out to ambush them."

"Well, dear, we had best get focused on the real world."

 _We're not speaking English, and yet, I understand them as if this is the only language I know._

 _What's going on?_

And so we did. I went to the office. I did the usual routine of having the guards inspect by biometric data.

Art the office I checked all of my messages, reading many reports, especially on industrial production.

"Feeling okay?" asked Laureline.

"Just stressed," I replied.

"Just focus on the task at hand. You know, I sometimes envy people who have only simple stations, like farming or cooking or security. Their lives are simple."

"I like having variety. Still, I'd like to try my hand in maintenance. I think I could do the job.

Later that night, I went to bed.

"Anything wrong, my love?" he asked.

"That dream I had last night was unsettling," I said. "How could I have been a different person, a different species?"

"A different species?"

"Yeah, called humans."

"What an alien name."

 _We're humans! We're humans, right?_

There were more things I read, especially on food and industrial production.

I still could not shake that strange dream out of my head.

Ooooooooooo

I wrote a story about my dream. It was popular among the advisor caste.

"I certainly liked your story," said Laureline. "Crash landing an a world occupied by hostile aliens. I do wonder why you decide to place the setting on this Orth planet rather than this planet?"

"That was my dream," I replied. It was so vivid.

Life continued on as usual. Gabe and I continued living together. Maybe we can get our own hive. Gabe wouild make a great Hive Lord.

 _Hive Lord?_

One day, the Hive Lord summoned us to an emergency meeting. He stood right next to the Hive Lady.

"Our colony at Knocsis was attacked by an unknown alien fleet," he said.

We were shocked. There was another starfaring people out there? Not just in my dreams?

"Only a single passenger vessel managed to escape," said our lord. "I just got back from a meeting at the Hive of Hives."

My Lord was referring to the capital of the Union. I had been there on business a couple of times.

But war? War was something I only heard of when learning history, due to my status as an advisor. We have had peace for over a thousand years since the Union was established to settle disputes between Hives peacefully and impartially. While my lord and lady sometimes complained about the acts of the Union, they knew it was better than Hives fighting each other, killing millions and laying waste to farms and towns.

 _Peace for a thousand years? My dad was a fighter pilot in the First Robotech War. I remember hearing about the Evacuation of Earth on TV!_

Under the Union, we had a thousand years of peace, advanced in the sciences, cracked the secrets of hyperspace, and found out that our people and planet were not the sum total of all Creation.

"This is terrible news, my lord," said Laureline.

"We must prepare," said the Hive Lord, grimly. "Our people have not fought a war in over a thousand years. We must learn what we can from those ancient tales of sorrow and waste."

Ooooooooooooo

There was a changed focus with this war.

I mostly read reports and attended meetings about production of weapons and ammunition. Gabe was advising on defense. We heard news from the capital about the construction of more vessels.

The Union itself handled the deployment of attack ships and improving the designs of our ships.

We did not know the motivation of this enemy that was attacking us.

We only knew them as the Shadow.

 _The Shadow?_

I did not actually witness this war for some time. I only compiled the reports and oversaw the production of food, medicines, and supplies the Union would need to fight the Shadow. Our lord and lady often went to the capital to meet with the Union leadership. The only noticeable signs of war around the Hive was scarcity of supplies that we took for granted.

The day however came when we heard some terrible news.

Draxus Colony fell. The Shadow fleet just overwhelmed our defenses.

Most people would not know the importance of Draxus Colony, as the castes and stations of most people did not have anything to do with the war. For example, farmers' jobs were to grow food; it was not their business what happened to the food afterward.

As an advisor, I had to learn a lot, see the big picture.

Draxus was a major shipyard and supply base.

And now it fell.

Will the Shadow advance on our homeworld? What will they demand?

"So many have to be converted to crewmen to fight the war," said Laureline as I ate lunch with her. "We shouldn't be talking about the war. We should be talking about you and Gabe, starting your own hive."

"Our Hive Lord is meeting with the other Lords to discuss this situation," I said.

Already, the Hive Guard was on high alert. I knew the defense ships held a tight orbit.

But could they resist the Shadow Fleet?

Witb this renewed focus on the War with the Shadow, I read more about the pre-Union stories, the history of the wars fought between the Hives. I knew that we were not as polished in the art of war as our enemies.

I hoped for news of a counter-offensive that would push back the Shadow fleet.

One day, the Hive Lord and Lady summoned me to a meeting. I could tell that they had grim news to tell.

"I am ready to hear your word, my lord and lady," I said.

"The Shadow Fleet is too strong," said the Hive Lord. "The Union has begun a plan. Our scout ships are already exploring the galaxy for a planet where the Flower grows."

 _I heard that capital letter ._

And we are focusing on producing supplies for the construction and deployment of these ships?" I asked.

"More than that," said the Hive Lady. "We have to evacuate key assets and personnel on board colony ships. The fall of this planet is inevitable. You will be among those evacuated. A transport is waiting for you; you have two hours to leave."

"But what of Gabe and Laureline, my lady?" I asked.

"They have not been granted a position on the ship," said my lady.

"I can request the Hive of Hives to evacuate your friends on the next ship," said my lord. "But you must evacuate. You have two hours to prepare."

"It was an honor serving and advising you, my lord and lady," I replied.

Ooooooo

I was pater packing my personal belongings.

"So you are being exiled," said Gabe.

"I need to be evacuated so that our people can survive the Shadow," I replied.

"The Union must think highly of you, that you will help further the survival of our people."

"But you are not coming."

"I will join you," said Gabe. "I promise."

We embraced.

I soon boarded the air transport and we took off. I looked out the window and saw the landscape below, the Hive itself, the surrounding buildings, as well as farms, roads, and untamed wilderness. The sun was setting, bathing the sky in bright colors.

I was going to miss this.

Soon we reached this spaceport. It looked as I expected, with space ships and support buildings. Support vehicles went up and down the tarmac.

I got inside one of the hustles with the other passenger. I felt very nervous and agitated.

I felt myself pushed back as the shuttle took off. There was not much conversation.

Eventually, we reached the vessel. It was a colonization ship, of the type used over the centuries to colonize distant worlds. There were some security forces on ship, as well as crew.

I envied them for not knowing what I knew. They focused on their jobs.

I went to this observation lounge, seeing the Planet receding. The ship was traveling to its coordinates so it could fold into hyperspace, taking us to distant star systems.

I saw some flashes of light. I could see stranger looking space vessels.

That had to be the Shadow Fleet. I had never seen those designs before.

Our Union's defense fleet opened fire on them.

The battle did not even last a minute.

They were destroyed.

I started to cry.

What about Gabe, Laureline, and the others?

The Shadow ships launched these missiles. They were shaped like really flat cones.

The tip of the cones separated and headed for the Planet.

There was a flash of light.

And the Planet was gone. There was no explosion or debris or anything, it was just gone.

My home, where I was spawned.

Everything I knew.

Gone.

"Gabe!" I cried. "Laureline! NOOOO!"

"You okay?" I heard.

That was Gabe.

I looked around. I saw Gabe, Itzak, Laureline, and Doc.

We were all human!

"You were unconscious for two days," said Doc. I had to hydrate you with a syringe."

"Thanks," I replied. "I had the strangest dream."

"You must be very hungry," said Laureline.

"Yes."

I ate some smoked meats, relieving the sensation of hunger in my stomach.

And I told them about my dream.

"I think I was an Invid," I said.

"You dreamed you were an invid?" asked Itzak.

"Yes," I replied. "I was an advisor to a Hive. The Invid were at war with the Shadow. The Shadow destroyed their planet. As in the planet was just gone."

"The Shadow," said Gabe. "that must be what the Invid called the Robotech Masters."

"How would she know that?" asked Laureline.

"the Flower of Life grows less than a hundred klicks from here," said Itzak. "The wind must have blown the spores here."

"The Flower is in symbiosis with the Invid," said Gabe. "We do not even know a fourth of what that plant can do."

"to think. I basically lived wseveral years as an Invid."

"I wonder if any Invid wonder what it is like to be human," said Itzak.

Later that night, I slept in the sleeping bag with Gabe.

"Anything bothering you?" I asked, feeling that he seemed troubled.

"That dream," I said. "The Robotech Masters destroying a whole planet? I know the Zentraedi wrecked Planet Optera, but it's still there, orbiting its sun."

"Maybe the Masters destroyed an Invid colony planet."

"But why not destroy Optera, if they had those weapons? Something does not add up."

"It was a dream. You and Laureline were there, as Invid."

"I must have made a really cute Invid."

"You bet. It was a dream, though. My memories were mixed in. There are some things I remember. The Shadow ships. The missiles they used to destroy the planet."

"There might be paper inside the truck.

I rummaged through our supplies, finding a pad of paper and a ballpoint pen. I quickly scribbled.

Gabe looked at the picture of the ship that I drew, which had this boxy design. "It does not look like any vessel used by the Masters."

"Maybe it was an old model," I replied.

I quickly went to sleep.

Oooooooooo

It was just two more days when Doc was fully able to walk around. We had already fouind the next camp site. We had listened to radio transmissions; humans were still resisting the Invid Regency.

We packed out stuff and were ready to move out, and we did.

The next few days or so were back into the pattern of finding a new campsite, scouting around, listening to radio transmissions.

There was one time the monotony was broken.

I saw some contrails in the blue sky above us. I looked through binoculars and I saw some aircraft.

I recognized them as Stonewell Bellcom VFA-6 Alpha veritech fighters and Stonewell bellcom VFB-6 Beta veritech fighters.

We all listened to the radio.

"Iron Leader to Iron Mountain," said a voice. "ETA to target twenty minutes."

It was not over.


	27. Beta Girl

We have had a renewed sense of hope, ever since seeing those Alphas fly through the sky. We had only heard about air strikes against the Invid Regency, but to actually see veritech fighters in action.

"Iron Mountain has not checked in," said Laureline, listening to the radio while sitting at our campsite.

"Probably radio silence," said Doc.

"I'm guessing they are about a hundred klicks from here," said Gabe.

I looked around, seeing the outline of mountains under the night sky. I could still remember how we felt when we actually contacted Irion Mountain. We identified ourselves as a Resistance force.

"Keep up the good work, Titan," replied the man representing Iron Mountain.

"We'd better get some rest," said Gabe.

My body was telling me to agree. So I got some sleep.

Oooooooooo

I had dreams, but not of living several years of the life of an Invid. Anyway, we had to do our usual routine. I made a final inspection of the bikes and the truck.

I got on my bike. It was Laureline's turn to drive the Toyota truck. I moved out a few meters ahead, looking around for any hostiles.

And so we continued. We did not know exactly where the Iron Mountain troops were located- they would not advertise their precise location for obvious reasons.

After a few hours, Lazureline stopped the truck. I drove back near her.

"Anything wrong"" I asked her.

"I heard a transmission over the truck's radio," replied Laureline. "They said Iron Mountain."

"Anything else?" I asked.

"The transmission was garbled."

"What's going on?" asked Gabe.

"I got what sounded like a transmission from Iron Mountain," said Laureline. "Most of it was garbled."

"So those Iron Mountain guys are still here," said Itzak.

"Maybe," said Gabe. "We'd better move it. It would be rude to keep those guys waiting."

And so we moved on, with Gabe or I scouting ahead, and sometimes occasionally checking the backtrail to find out if anyone was following us.

"It's getting dark," said Doc. "I suggest we make camp."

"Agreed," replied Gabe.

And that was what we did, going through our usual routine, gathering water from the water source- a nearby spring, boiling the water. Luckily, we managed to kill a large animal, which allowed us to eat fresh meat for supper.

"I'm guessing the people at Iron Mountain are subsisting on rations," said Doc after eating a bite of roasted meat. "

I definitely agreed.

I savored every bite as I say by the campfire.

And then of course there was time in the sleeping bag with Gabe.

Ooooooooo

Dawn arrived, and it was time for us to pack up and move out. Doc was driving the truck this time, and we packed his GR-002 Strike Garland in the back.

It was not long afterward when Gabe stopped his Cyclone as he was moving forward.

He pointed.

I could see smoke.

I picked up the mic on the radio. "Titan to Iron Mountain," I said. "Please respond."

There was silence.

"We'd better speed this up," said Gabe.

We moved forward. My heart was racing. I was dreading to find out what heppedn to Iron Mountain.

After maybe an hour, we finally reached our destination.

There was a valley below us.

We could see wrecked vehicles and structures. There were still some fires.

Looking through binoculars, I could see some corpses.

Oh no. This must have happened really recently.

Did anyone survive?

Gabe immediately drove down.

"Wait!" I yelled even as I chased after him.

We were down at the center of what had been Iron Mountain's base. Gabe took his helmet off.

There was this blank expression on his face.

"Gabe," I said. "Gabe. Say something."

"We got here too late," he replied.

I saw the truck as well as Laureline here. Doc and itxak got out of the cab. The three of them looked at the devastation.

"The whole place," he said. "Gone."

I looked at the others. "There may be survivors," I said. "Let's look around."

"The Invid may be in the area," said Laureline. "We better armor up."

And so we did, going into our armor mode, while Doc got onto his Strike Garland and transformed into battloid mode.

We looked around.

We found corpses as well as the wreckage of mecha. I looked at the arm of a wrecked battloid.

It looked intact. Maybe some of the parts could be used for repairs.

"Listen," I said. "We might find some supplies, especially food and protoculture."

"Yeah," replied Gabe.

I continued my search. Wrecked war machines and human corpses were too easy to find.

"We found some rations," said Doc.

"Good job," I said.

I then turned a corner, seeing a wrecked cargo ship used to transport supplies and personnel between the surface and orbit.

I was surprised what I saw inside.

It was this red boxy aircraft with short wings. I walked around and saw two giant thrusters.

That was a Stonewell Bellcom VFB-9 Beta veritech fighter! I had seen these before.

And this beta was in one piece.

"Peeps," I said. "I found a beta fighter. It's in one piece."

"That's great," replied Laureline.

"Gabe's a fighter pilot; we'd have a better chance against the Regency if we had some air power! I'm gonna go check everything out."

I searched around the cargo transport. I saw several books. One of the books interested me.

 **STONEWELL BELLCOM VFB-9 BETA USER AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL**

I skimmed through the pages, trying to learn the basics of how this war machine worked. I read about its three modes- fighter, guardian, and battloid- as well as the basics of the various mechanisms.  
I opened access panels to see inside the innards of the Beta. I then looked around the place, finding a toolbox. I managed to make some adjustments to the fighter.

It must have taken a lot of time, but I did as much as I could to get the Beta into tip top shape.

"Well," I said to the fighter as I touched it, almost like a pet, "Only one way to find out if my tune up worked. Gabe's got to take you for a test drive."

I went out to what I thought of as the central area, where I saw Gabe waiting.

"Gabe, I found something," I said.

"So did I."

He held a tiny pendant in his hand, which looked like the one that had that message from his dad. He played the message.

I saw a holographic image of a blond-haired woman. She looked young, not more than five years older than I was.

"My darling," she said. "It has only been a month since we married. I know you must be away from me to serve humanity. Know that I will be awaiting you at home, and will think of you every day."

"She's a widow now," said Gabe.

"Gabe!" yelled Laureline.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You'll never guess what we found."

"What?"

"Come see," said Itzak.

And so we did, following them on our bokes.

We came across another cargo transport. It had scorch marks on its hull.

We went around the corner, and saw what Itzak and Laureline wanted us to see.

There were at least three Stonewell Bellcom VFA-6 Alpha veritech fighters.

"This is incredible," said Gabe.

"That's not the only thing," I said. "There's a Beta fighter here, in tip top shape. I just gave it a tune up."

"Oh my God," said Doc as he entered the cargo transport.

"I'd better take a look at the systems," I said even as I opened an access panel on the nose of the Alpha. "there must be some maintenance manual here; the Iron Mountain troops must have been using this cargo shuttle as a makeshift hangar."

I took a look, seeing all of the wires and hoses and gear and stuff like that.

"Here," said Itzak, holding a large book. I looked at the title and it read **, STONEWELL BELLCOM VFA-6 ALPHA USER AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL.**

"Thanks," I said.

"You are welcome," replied Itzak. "With these planes, we could take out Reflex Point before sundown."

"Reflex Point, eh?" asked Gabe. "The most heavily defended place on the surface of the Earth. If we all fly our fighters there, we would be blown to bits before getting within two hundred klicks."

"Oh," said Itzak.

"We must be brave, but not foolhardy," said Doc.

I got to work tuning up the Alpha with what I could. Itzak helped by bringing me boxes of spare parts. I frequently referred to the maintenance manual.

I had better get used to it, since I will likely be fixing up Alphas and Betas for quite some time.

After about maybe an hour, I figured I did as much as I could to tune up the Alpha.

I went outside to the central area. We all gathered around Gabe.

"We could stay here for a while," he said. "There should be supplies..because no one else is here to consume them. There were thousands here. All gone, just like the crew of the _Calavicci_."

"In any event," I said, "the Alpha is fixed up."

Gabe looked at us and then looked around the ruins of the makeshift base that once housed Iron Mountain. "I'd better go out and scout," he said.

He went to the makeshift hangar where the Alphas were stored. He got into the cockpit. I could see the expression on his face. He had not flown an Alpha ever since that disastrous battle over Earth over half a year ago!

I gave him a thumbs up sign, and he returned it. The alpha lifted off and flew out of the hangar. I saw the legs fold down as the veritech switched into guardian mode.

"Gabe, can you hear me?" I asked into the radio.

"Loud and clear," he said. "I'll sweep around the general area."

"I can do some scouting on the ground," said Laureline.

"Wait, I'm picking up two bogeys," said Gabe.

"I wonder if they're friendly," I said.

"They have a missile lock. It's the Invid! I've got three bandits approaching and I am engaging."

Gabe was once again, in a dogfight with the mecha of the Invid Regency.

I could only stand here, as Gabe took on the Invid. As long as he can keep them away from iron Mountain…

But one of them managed to get here, a shocktrooper.

I got onto my Cycloen, and transformed into armor mode, opening fire at the enemy war machine as I took cover.

Clouds of dust were kicked up from the blasts from my duel with this machine. We kept dancing around, taking cover, opening fire. I frequently shifted between armor and cycle modes.

Then, when I was in cycle mode, a blast blew me off the bike. I looked and saw the shocktrooper. My heart was racing.

Was this the end?

I saw some blasts hit the shocktrooper. I looked and saw it was itzxak, firing a weapon at the Regency mecha.

I glanced and saw that I was near the cargo transport where the Beta fighter was stored.

Instinctivelty, I ran to the fighter, grabbed the user manual, and entered the cockpit. I looked at the instrument panel with all the switches and buttons and screens and analog instruments. I pressed a few buttons.

"I'm coming, Itzak!" I yelled. I flipped a switch labeled MASTER ARM.

The Invid shocktrooper looked at me. I was the bigger threat than Itzak.

I opened fire.

The shocktrooper was obliterated, mecha parts flying every which way.

I pushed the throttle and was moving forward.

For a while I felt exhilarated. Actually flying a small plane, a veritech combat aircraft. I wondered if this was how my dad felt on his combat mission into the rings of this planet called Saturn, over thirty years ago!

I saw another Invid mecha in front of me, a Scout. I fired some blasts, but kept missing.

Was my first combat aviation mission my last?

Then the Scout was destroyed. I looked and saw the Alpha.

"So you're a fighter pilot now," said Gabe.

"I did what I had to," I replied. I looked at the screen and saw blips.

"I'll take care of these two bandits," said Gabe. I looked and saw tywo more fireballs. For a vbrief, long second I wondered if Gabe was among them.

"The two bandits have been splashed," said Gabe. "Let's return to base."

I flew the Beta back to where Iron Mountain was.

I did not know how to land. I was losing altitude.

"How do I land this thing?" I asked.

"Switch to battloid mode," said Gabe.

"Battloid?" I asked. I looked at this lever, recognizing it as the mode shifter.

I shifted to battloid mode. I could feel a thud as the Beta's feet touched the ground.

I hopped out of the mecha. I could see the Beta in its battloid mode, looking like a giant suit of armor, much larger than Doc's Garland battloid.

"You managed to get your first kill," said Gabe as he walked towards me from where he parked the Alpha. "Ninety-nine kills away from being an ace. You have a lot to learn."

Oooooooooo

We were always on alert in case the Regency decided to take out Iron Mountain again. I made sure to check the systems.

"I know I can't teach you everything I learned at V School," said Gabe. "But we need to learn how to use these fighters."

"I shall take the time to learn," said Laureline.

We were there maybe two days, as Laureline learned the very basics of operarting the VFA-6 Alpha. And I mean the very basics, like turning the plane, taking off and landing, shifting between the three modes. None of the techniques that veritech aces used.

We could not learn everything , and we both knew we could not stay at Iron Mountain indefinitely.

Finally, we decided to go. We packed up food, medical supplies, and spare parts and ammo. The Cyclones were folded and placed in a storage compartment inside the fighters; Gabe showed us this could be done.

I had forgotten that Gabe's own Cyclone was inside a storage compartment in his old Alpha, back when he crashed it into that barn in Africa so long ago.

I was in the cockpit of the Beta. I flipped switches and checked the instruments. I hovered about maybe forty meters above the ground in guardian mode.

We flew above as Doc drove the truck on the ground below.

We were making progress; there was no denying it.


	28. A Royal Banquet

"It's him," said Doc. "I can't believe it; after all these years."

"Who?" asked Itzak.

Doc, Itzak, and I were at this marketplace in some frontier village. We came here from the campsite on a scouting mission. I was dressed much as the ladies were, with a scarf covering my face and my body concealed in a loose, ankle-length dress. Some of the men wore turbans. Various items were being sold at market stalls, which were manned by all sorts of people. The items being offered for sale included food, clothes, electronics, and jewelry.

I saw where Doc was pointing at. On the side of the building was the mural of a man wearing a jeweled turban. He had a short-cropped black beard on his face.

"That's Gupta," said Doc. "I served in the same unit as he during the War with the Masters."

"As in Special Forces?' I asked.

"Yes. 3rd Special Forces Group, Southern Cross."

"Who is that man?" Itzak asked someone behind the stall."

"The Raj Gupta," replied the merchant. "He fought the Robotech Masters over ten years ago. He brought peace here after the war."

"The Raj?"

"There is peace here. Disputes are settled peacefully by his courts. The firsty ywear after war ended with the Masters much fighting. My brother was killed."

"I'm sorry."

"I have peace, can raise family."

"We should head back to camp," said Doc.

Oooooooo

"So we can meet with this Raj?" asked Gabe.

"The Raj was a soldier in my old unit," said Doc. "We fought in several missions against the Robotech Masters. We fought together, bled together, suffered together, grieved together. Maybe he can help us if he were to listen to me."

We were back at our camp site, which was at a clearing in the woods. Our veritech fighters were parked there in guardian mode. Gabe and lazureline and I often practiced maneuvers in our fighters, mostly low altitude operations. Going to high would attract the Invid RTegency's air defenses.

"And how do you propose we do that?" asked Laureline. "Just knock on his front door?"

"Not exactly," said Gabe. "If we knew where his palace was, maybe we can find a way to contact him. If we just knock on his front door, the guards would surely turn us away. We need to make a grand entrance. Doc, you will be needed."

"I will do anything," said Doc.

Ooooooo

One thing about elephants was that they had a lot of meat. We filled outse3lves with fresh roasted elephant meat, and smoked the rest of it.

Gabe returned in his VFA-6 Alpha veritech guardian.

"I know where the royal palace is," he said. He looked at doc. "Are you ready?"

"I must meet my friend," he said.

Gabe then kissed me. "If I get executed for his," he said.

"No regrets," I replied.

Gabe got into the alpha and transformed into battloid mode. Doc got onto his Strike Garland and also transformed into battloid mode. Gabe carried Doc and flew away.

"Let's hope this Raj is friendly," said Itzak.

"Well, how about a game of Nine Men's Morris?" I asked.

"You must like losing," said Itzak.

Oooo

After two hours, I was still waiting. Gabe had said over the radio that he was approaching for a landing at what he thought was the Royal Palace. There was no word from him.

"What if they are going to execute them?" asked Itzak. "Shouldn't we rescue them?"

I stayed silent for a moment. "They are not our enemies," I said. "Gabe and Doc knew the risk. We are in their territory; they have every justification to defend it."

"If something happened to them, we must carry on as best we can without them," replied Laureline.

There was nothing much we could do but wait.

After about an hour, I could hear a thup-thup-thup sound. That was the sound of a helicopter; it would not surprise me that some of the people on Earth would still use helicopters.

I also saw an Alpha guardian. That was Gabe!

The guardian landed, and Gabe stepped out of the cockpit.

"Mission successful!" he yelled.

"What's going on?" asked Gabe.

"We met the Raj. Doc's at the Palace. We're all; invited! We can even bunk there!"

An invitation by royalty? How could I resist?

"What do we do about the fighters and the truck and Itzak's bike?" asked Laureline.

"One of the Raj's guards will drive the truck to his Palace. You bring the Alpha and the Beta."

And that was what we did. I got into the cockpit of the Beta and took off, flying in guardian mode. I glanced at the landscape below, with farms and towns and villages. Above us were dark clouds; it looked like it was going to rain.

We eventually reached a city. There was much construction going on. The location of the Royal Palace was obvious. Gabe and Laureline and I landed our veritechs in a clearing within the Palace's perimeter walls.

We waited on the ground. The main building of the Palace screamed luxury. I figured it must gleam during sunny days.

Some men came out to greet us. They wore baggy pants, vests, and turbans; they were clearly guards.

Among them was a bespectacled man with blond hair. He wore a white collared shirt and white pants. A black bow-tie was around his collar.

"You must be His Majesty's guests," said the man. "Welcome to his humble abode."

"Thank you," I said.

"I can show you to your quarters."

And so he did. We were led down the corridors of the palace, which were as decorated as a luxury resort. I could hear my footsteps echo. After a few minutes, I entered this room.

It was a large apartment, There was a living and dining area in the front with a kitchenette, a coffee table, and a flat-screen television. The door to the bedroom in the back was open.

"This our place," said Gabe.

"Where's Doc?" I asked.

"Catching up with his old friend."

I sat on the couch. It felt so good. I had not felt this way in a long time.

"Well, if we are going to have supper with royalty, we have to clean up," said Gabe.

I agreed.

I felt the hot water from the shower spray against my skin.

It felt so good.

Of course, Gabe being in the shower with me felt great.

Ooooooooooo

We were given a guided your of the palace. The blond-haired man narrated, escorted by two royal Guards. He showed as the grand atrium at the front of the main building, with its gradn staircase. He showed us the offices of the Royal Court.

"I wish I had my dress blues," said Gabe.

We were all sitting around this table covered in a white tablecloth. Servants in white long-sleeved collared shirts, white pants, and bow-ties served us water and some wine. I had not tasted wine in such a long time.

I understood Gabe's point. I should be wearing a fancy dress.

Then the blond-haired man who greeted us stood at attention.

"It is my honor to introduce unto you my Liege Lord, His Majesty the Raj Gupta, Protector of the Realm, Defender of the Hindus and Muslims and those who follow other Faiths, Chosen by all the Gods and Goddesses, Judge of Judges, Seeker of Peace, Wager of War, Builder of the Future."

And then I saw the Raj, dressed as he was in that painting, with his jeweled turban. His trousers were held up by a belt; a large dagger was tucked into the belt.

"Greetings, my honored guests," he said. "I am glad to meet you all. I hired the best chefs anywhere in India. I hope you enjoy our supper."

The white-clad servants served supper. There were roasted vegetables with spices. There was this food the Raj called curry, which was this red broth with tofu and beans, and it tasted spicy.

Doc and the Raj often spoke about their times while serving the Army. I noticed they avoided talking about combat with the Masters; they spoke about their off-time, hanging out with other soldiers, visiting tourist attractions on leave.

"Itzak is a fine boy," said the Raj. "Perhaps in a few years, he can be a consort for my daughter."

"Is that is not a little too early to consider, Your Grace?" asked Laureline.

The Raj ignored Laureline's question. "I must ask, Alazar," said the Raj. "Why did you join up with young Gabriel and company. You could have stayed in Kyga, that's what is was called?"

"Kyoga," replied Doc.

"I'd like to know why you joined us," said Itzak.

"You know I was married, right?"

I did not know that.

"Of course, my friend," replied Raj Gupta. "I was at the wedding, wearing the penguin suit."

"Penguin suit?" asked Itzak.

"The dinner dress uniform for the United Nations Army."

"My wife was pregnant," said Doc. "She did not survive the Invid Invasion. I never met my child. I never even knew if I would have had a son or a daughter."

For about ten minutes there was silence.

Doc broke the silence.

"Your children are wonderful," he said to the Raj. "Treasure them."

"I…I do," he replied, weakly.

"You must hate the Invid for what they did," said Itzak.

"Of course I do," answered Doc. "They took away my love! My child! Do you not hate the Purifiers for what they did to your father?"

"Yes," said Itzak. "Sometimes I want to kill all of them for what they took from me. But I remember what that Major Barnes said."

"The one who murdered his commanding officer, betrayed his team?"

"he was friends with the leader of the Purifiers. He talked about his friend's childhood."

"He said it was horrible," I said, recovering memories from o long ago.

"I spoke to him alone and asked him about the details," said Itzak. "I…I couldn't believe humans could possibly be so cruel to a child! I can't even talk about what they did. To do those things to him…because he was of the wrong blood. He hated those who did that to him, and hated those who shared the same blood as those who tortured him. My father was of that same blood."

"As am I and my brother," said Laureline. She exposed her forearm where she carved the name of her little brother Samuel. "When the Purifiers first entered my village, I took by baby brother with me to hide from them in a cave. He kept crying. I tried to keep him quiet and I…I suffocated him."

The Raj was visibly disturbed. I understood. That story disturbed me, and this disturbed me even after maybe a year.

"All that abuse and torture weighed upon him," continued Laureline. "He was haunted by demons arising from that torture and abuse, and..and he felt the only way to exorcise those demons was to commit genocide against those who shared the blood of his tormentors."

"Things were bad around here before I established the Raj," said the Raj. "But not that bad."

"There is one thing I must ask of you aside from the hospitality you showed to me and my friends," said Doc. "We have been fighting the Invid. We ask that you help us, and to provide us shelter."

"To fight the Invid."

"Yes, their domination of this planet must end. They keep humanity divided. There are other groups resisting out there. If we can work together."

"Alazar my friend, you are asking more than a personal favor," said the Raj. "You make a request regarding a matter of state. I must consult with my vizier and the rest of the Royal Court."

Doc looked around as he ate another piece of curry.

Oooo

I lay in bed with Gabe. I was feeling sad, both about what Doc had told us and about the Founding Father of the Purifiers.

Would I have done the same as him if I had that kind of childhood?

I settled into dreams.

Oooooooooooo

I entered the great hall. Many people were there. Recorders, guards, and advisors.

 _Where the Hell is this place? Am I an Invid again?_

I looked and saw the Regent standing behind a stand. Beside him was the Regess.

The "guest" of honor had been a Hive Lord, having been judged guilty and was nothing more than a war criminal awaiting sentencing.

"We need not recite the crimes of which the Regency's courts have judged you guilty," said the Regent. "In your lust for power, you laid waste to much of this planet Optera, and in so doing you nearly finished what the Children of the Shadow tried to do so long ago."

As an advisor, I remembered reading about the near-destruction of my people. I could only imagine how those who witnessed the destruction of our cradleworld had felt.

"Not even the death penalty of our ancient ancestors would have been punishment enough," said the Regent. "In the name of the Invid Regency, you are condemned to spend the rest of your life in a dark hole, with only the minimum sustenance necessary for life. Every effort will be made to keep you alive, and keep you confined. And there you will stay, until you die of a hand not our own or yours."

The guards them removed the condemned criminal away.

 _So that's the Regent and Regess._

Ooooooo

So life continued on. The Regency's focus was on repairing the damage caused by the Great War. So many have perished, entire Hives were reduced to nothing. I dedicarted my expertise into these recovery efforts.

I was sent by the Crown to the Hole. I arrived at the entrance and the guards took their time to check me.

The Hole was the most maximum of any maximum security custodial facility anywhere on Optera.

I was escorted to this room. There was the prisoner, all restrained, only revealed by a light above.

"Ah, the great war criminal, the near destroyer of Optera and Invidkind," he said. "is that what the Regent and Regess said to you?"

"Yes," I said. "I have been briefed about your crimes."

"Do you think they are telling the truth? Those who fear the loss of their power tell lies to keep it."

"That gives you a motivation to lie," I said.

"And they would have a motivation to lie."

I got up and started to leave.

"Are you afraid of mere words? I can not hurt you. I am restrained here."

I turned back.

"What do you offer?"

"Just the truth. About what the Regency really is."

"You say you tell the truth, but how would I know. Why should I believe you?"

"I can tell. You are very smart. You do not believe something just because you hear it or read it. Though your loyalty is to the Regent and Regess, your heart and mind are your own."

I sat down. "Tell me more."

And he started talking.

When he was finished, I could feel something. He was charming. I could identify with his world view.

He might be right.

 _Really?_

I woke up, in bed. I looked at my hands.

I had another dream, living the life of an Invid.

I glanced and saw Gabe's silhouette, as he was sleeping.

As I lay in bed, I wonder how many years I would spend as an Invid the next time this happened.

Ten?

A hundred?


	29. Escape From the Gilded Cage

That morning, I woke up.

"I dreamed I was an Invid again," I said, peeling away the blanket.

"You mean you lived several years as an Invid again?" asked Gabe. "So what happened? Were you still on that ship?"

"No, I was on Optera. I think I was a different Invid this time."

"What happened?"

"I was an advisor for the Regess, I think. I remember seeing a war criminal being sentenced. I later visited him in the prison."

"No Robotech Masters showing up to destroy the planet?"

"None of that."

Gabe picked up the phone in the bedroom. "At least there's room service.," he said.

"Yeah, the Raj can turn his Palace into a luxury resort," I said.

We did get a breakfast of pastries and yogurt. We made sure to savor the comfort, as it could soon be taken away.

The telephone rang, and Gabe picked it up.

"Hello?" he asked. "Yes…"

He put down the phone.

"What is it?" I asked.

"We've been invited to meet with the Raj," he said.

And that was what we did. We were escorted by palace staffers, who were wearing white shirts, red vests, and baggy trousers.

We sat around this conference table, made of fine varnished wood. Laureline was already there. Itzak was soon escorted.

"You should be lucky to have an audience with the Raj," said a staffer.

Doc entered.

"How are you feeling?" asked Laureline.

"I feel relaxed," he said. "I had a good night sleep."

That was in comparison to my dream where I lived as an Invid.

Then a staffer arrived, announcing the arrival of the Raj Gupta, addressing His Majesty by his many titles.

"Greetings, my honored guests," said the Raj, dressed in his turban and shirt and baggy trousers. "I have taken matters into consideration. I can offer you legal residency in my kingdom. You will be granted a sum of money, assistance in finding a place to live as well as employment. I will even give myself as a reference to any potential employer."

We all glanced at each other.

"That is a fine offer, Your Grace," said Gabe. "What of our request to provide us a base of operations to strike against the Invid Regency?"

"That is a request I must deny," said the Raj. "We are neutral with respect to the Invid's war against what remains of the United Earth Forces."

"Oh," said Doc.

"There is more," said the Raj. "While I have long parted ways with the old United Earth Government, one policy of theirs that I adopted was the Hague Convention of 1907. Article 11 deals with the presence of belligerent troops within neutral territory. Under Article 11, this kingdom must intern you."

"What?" I asked. "Keep us here, as in in prisoners?"

"Gabriel Gashtar," said the Raj, "Surely you know about the Hague Conventions of 1907."

Gabe remained silent for a few seconds. "Yes, I was taught about the Hague Conventions in ROTC, your Majesty," he replied. "The United Nations Plenipotentiary Council reaffirmed all of the conventions regarding the laws and customs of war."

"We have had peace with the Invid for ten years. My subjects grow their food, ply their trades. Most of them have air conditioning and lights at night. People resisting the Invid, they hide in holes, shivering in the cold, wondering where their next meal comes from. I will not jeopardize my kingdom's neutrality. I have heard what happened to areas that resisted."

"Gupta my friend," said Doc. "The Invid attack anyone who tries to leave your kingdom. You have not even paid official state visits to your neighbor5s."

"And my people should fight a war for the self-proclaimed successors of the United Earth Government? You surely remember the Great Embezzlement. The Secretary General and his allies looted the World Bank. The world plunged into chaos because of that act of unrestrained greed, at a time when we needed to prepare for the Invid Invasion. Soldiers' paychecks bounced."

"And the Invid are better?"

"The Invid did not loot the treasury of my kingdom."

"The Invid took away my child."

The Raj stood up, putting his hand on Doc's shoulder. "Alazar, you have always wanted to heal people. You said you wanted to go to nursing school, be a registered nurse, after completing your service in the Army."

I recalled Doc mentioning that, once or twice.

"My friend," continued the Raj, "if you accept my offer of legal residency, I shall pay the tuition for the best nursing school in the kingdom. You have been a soldier for what, fifteen years now? You've dealt death to both the Masters and the Invid, more than any man should have. Now I can help you heal. Heal the rage and grief in your heart, as well as my subjects."

"That…that is a tempting offer. But young Gabriel still wants to fight. At least let him and the others leave."

"The Hague Conventions are very clear. Belligerent forces in our territory must be interned. If not, the Invid will have every justification to attack. More people will have their children taken away from them. That is my deal. Accept legal residency, and I shall help your trasition to civilian life among my subjects. Otherwise, you must be interned here unless and until there is peace between the Invisd and the remnant of the United Nations."

We were all escorted back to the guest wing. We all went to the apartment where Gabe and I were staying.

"I'm sorry about your child," Itzak said to Doc. "I never knew."

"I only told Lieutenant Gashtar," replied Doc, "when I first joined up with you after Colonel Wheatley was murdered. He promised not to tell anyone else. When Gupta asked me, I felt I could tell you all."

"Well, there's one choice," said Gabe, standing up. "We have to bust out of this gilded cage!"

I looked out the window of the apartment. I could see the courtyard with its garden. I could still see the fighters, all surrounded by Royal Guards.

"We are going out into the wilderness again," said Laureline. "We will live in primitive conditions. Let us at least enjoy the luxury here when we can."

And so we did. Gabe and I had another hot shower together, hot in more than one way.

Soon enough, it was time for our plan.

"Fire!" yelled Gabe. "Fire!"

One of the guards burst into the room. He briefly looked confused.

Laureline and Doc took him down and subdued him.

We all ran outside, going through the palace hallways, shrouded in shadow. We had to sneak around.

We did not want a firefight with the Royal Guard- to avoid killing them as much as to avoid getting killed. We pushed a few Guards out of the way.

We were lucky none of them resorted to lethal force.

We made our way tio this covered walkway high above the ground. Some Guards came at us, and there was quite a physical altercation between us.

"Help me!" yelled Laureline.

She was in trouble.

Wait, she was standing at the edge of the walkway leaning over.

I looked and saw one of the Guards had fallen over the wall of the walkway. I ran up and grabbed his other arm, pulling as hard as I could.

We managed to get the guard safely onto the floor of the concrete walkway. We heard more footsteps as more Guards arrived.

There was no escape.

"I guess not all of my plans can be successful," said Gabe.

"Wait here," said one of the Guards.

We kept wondered what would happen to us.

Some more people arrived. I noticed that one of them was the Raj himself, wearing a red silk robe and plush slippers. He spoke with his Guards in this language.

"Alazar my friend," he said to Doc. "Your friends are very courageous, and righteous. I heard what they did for my Guard."

The Guard who nearly fell over looked at his king.

"We just want to take our gear and continue the fight with the Invid," said Doc.

"To maintain neutrality with the Invid, your friends must be interned," replied the Raj. "But suppose my Guards escorted them on a tour of the countryside, and they happened to slip past our borders- they will not be our problem anymore."

"That is a great idea, your Majesty," said Gabe.

"I am Special Forces," replied the Raj. I was trained to think outside box."

Ooooooooo

We were taken out to this corner of the courtyard where the alpha and Berta fighters were stored. I puit on my CVR-03 armor and got inside the Beta's cockpit. I flipped the switches and checked all of the systems. The board was green. I lifted off, hovering maybe forty meters from the ground.

I looked and could see Doc talking to the Raj right next to the Toyota ten-ton truck. The two men embraced, and Doc got inside the truck. The truck then left the courtyard and went out into the street, escorted by some of the Royal Guard vehicles.

"That's our cue," said Gabe. "let's go."

About maybe over an hour later, the truck stopped. Ahead I could see a jungle. We landed our fighters right near the truck. We got out and met with Doc and Itzak.

"The jungle there is beyond the boundaries of Gupta's kingdom," said Doc. "Beyond that, we may find friendlies; we may find the Invid."

"I wonder why you decided to go with us," I asked.

"I did want to have a peaceful life with my friend Gupta; I did want to go to nursing school and become a registered nurse," he answered. "I also wanted to follow you, to see this through. I had to make a judgment call."

"Let's continue ahead," said Gabe.

And so we did.


	30. Reunion with the Mentor

"I miss the desert," said Laureline.

"What's to miss about the desert?" I asked. "I mean, we often had to spend days at a camp site until we could locate the next watering hole. Here, water is plenty easy to find."

"That's the problem. There so much water it's in the air. It feels so hot even in the shade. At least the shade felt cool in the desert."

We were all in a clearing in a jungle somewhere east of India. The air was moist. I could basically smell the moisture. It was rather like parts of Africa upstream the Nile.

We were all dressed in sleeveless tops. Our CVR-03 armor was accessible just in case.

Gabe arrived from his ground patrol. He got off his Cyclone and I watched as he removed his armor, exposing his bare arms.

"No potential hostiles snooping around," he said.

Invid were not the only potential hostiles in this area. Plenty of humans would be tempted to take three veritech fighters, three Cyclones, and a hover Garland- there were at most five people available to guard our mecha.

Gabe held up a dead bird with colorful feathers. "Fresh meat for all of us," he said.

And so we ate. It would be better if we had, like, eleven herbs and spices to go along with it.

Soon, our dinner of fresh meat was done.

"I'd better do my round of air patrol," I said. I puit on my CVR-03 armor and then climbed into the cockpit of the VFB-9 Beta veritech guardian. I glanced at the instruments and flipped the switches. Soon I was airborne.

I looked out of the cockpit and at my radar screen. I had to be on the lookout for threats both in the air and on the ground. I had gotten better at operating the Beta ever since we recovered these aerial war machines from Iron Mountain.

I saw something on my radar screen.

"I see a bogey," I said.

"Stay alert," replied Gabe.

I was only flying a thousand meters above ground. From what we had been told over the past year, the Invid Regency does not initiate attacks against human aircraft that stay below three thousand meters above the ground and within blockade zones.

I was not to engage the aircraft even if it were Invid. If it attacked, I would draw the bandit away from the camp site as far as possible, until Gabe and Laureline could get into their veritechs and join me in battle.

I then received a transmission in some language.

"Hello?" I asked. "This is Titan. Who is there? I repeat, this is Titan, who is there?"

"Zis is Wyvern," replied the voice, which sounded male. "You say you are Titan."

"Yes, this is Titan. We are just looking around."

"Did he say Titan?" asked Gabe, who could hear the transmissions from the Beta.

"who iz dat?" asked the Wyvern pilot.

"Third Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines."

"Gashtar?" asked the man in the other aircraft.

"Yes, Gashtar."

"Iz zat really you?"

"Yeah?"

"It haz been a long time. First Lieutenant Vincent d'Honaire, United Nations Space Marines, formerly your midhsipman instructor at ze Academy, and sole survivor of Wyvern Squadron."

"d'Honaire? You…you survived?"

"I am not talking to you beyond the dead. I am in an Alpha fighter."

"Join us," said Gabe.

I looked and saw a red VFA-6 Alpha veritech fighter, which flew close to me. I circled around and landed the Beta in guardian mode. I noticed the Alpha transforming into guardian mode and landing in the clearing.

I got out of the cockpit. Gabe and the others were watching the red Alpha. The cockpit opened and a man stepped out, clad in CVR-03 armor. After reaching the ground, he removed his helmet. I saw a man wityh sandy brown hair. He looked to be in his mid twenties.

He and Gabe embraced.

"It haz been a long time, Gash-tar," said the man, putting the accent on the _tar_. "Since ze _Calavicci_."

"Did anyone else from your squadron survive, sir?" asked Gabe.

"Zat I can not say," he replied. "I know of no others. Anyway, I must introduce myself. Vincent d'Honaire, First Lieutenant, United Nations Space Marines, veritech combat pilot."

Gabe introduced the rest of us.

"Fine crew you have," replied d'Honaire. "They were in your Titan Squadron, right?"

"Actually, no. I am the only survivor of my squadron. You see, sir, I crash landed in this land called Africa. I met up with the rest of my crew, and just..well, traveled."

"It haz been over a year, Lieutenant Gashtar."

"How did you survive a year here?" asked Laureline. "And with a working Alpha fighter?"

"Zat iz a long story," replied d'Honaire. "But I joined up with a group zat is resisting ze Invid."

"We could join forces, sir," said Gabe.

"do you trust zese people with your life?" he asked.

"Without trust, sir, we would not have made it this far."

"Zen I trust them enough to invite zem to the base with you."

"Let's go," said Gabe.

And so we did. I got into my Beta and hovered a few meters above the ground in guardian mode. Laureline hovered in her alpha, while Doc and Itzak were inside the ten-ton Toyota truck that carried their bikes. One of us occasionally got on the ground to check for any potential hazards- the jungle canopy was thick in these parts.

"There's someone up ahead," said doc, speaking into the mic of the truck's radio. "Hovertanks."

"Zat should be our advance ground scout force," said Lieutenant d'Honaire.

I landed nearby and could see some VHT-1 Spartas hovertanks stopped near the truck. They then escorted Doc as he drove the truck through the jungle. I took off and returned to the air.

I then noticed we passed a clearing. There was tilled land below us. We generally avoided going into civilized areas if we could help it.

"Over here," said d'Honaire, hovering in guardian mode. I looked and saw an air field and some buildings. Gabe first landed, followed by me and Laureline. Trucks arrived bearing troops; I figured they served as military police. Vincent d'Honaire got onto the ground and raised his hand at the troops.

Soon I saw rthe hovertanks and our truck. Doc and Itzak got out.

"Hello there," said one of the troops.

"Zis is Colonel Khin," said d'Honaire. "He iz in command here. Allow me to escort you all to the guest barracks."

And so he did. I looked around, seeing the silhouettes of buildings. The veritech pilot eventually led us to this Quonset hut. We went inside. It was dimly lit.

"Zis is no five star hotel, but it should be good enough," said our host.

I was reminded of staying at that suite in Doc's friend's Palace. That seemed so long ago already, even though I only arrived on Earth a little over a year ago.

"We will be preparing a little feast for our guests," said d'Honaire. He then left us.

"Do you trust him?" asked Doc.

"Yeah," replied Gabe. "He was my mentor at the Aerospace Academy. He taught me a lot, including how to fold a towel properly. It took me all year to master that."

"That does not mean we should trust his allies here," said Laureline.

"Well, I can't wait for dinner," said Itzak. "I wonder what the food is like."

Ooooooooooo

We were escorted to dinner. The officers' mess was located inside this Quonset. There were some bare tables and these mats. Vincent d'Honaire was sitting down on one of these mats; we joined him.

"I wish I could take you all to a five star rest-a- _raunt_ ," he said, putting his emphasis on the last syllable.

"Thank you for this," said Doc.

"Our first course iz coming."

We were served bowls with these noodles full of shrimp, shredded carrots, and lettuce, in this sauce.

"So this is what you eat?" asked Itzak.

"Actually, we eat the vegetable stew with rice most of ze time. Zis is a special dish for special occasions."

"Like reuniting with an old friend," said Gabe. "Nice place you got."

"Zis used to be a U.N. base," replied d'Honaire. "it waz home to ze 12th Fighter Wing of ze Tactical Armored Space Corps of ze Air Force. After ze Second War, the locals took over."

"Many bases were shut down after the war, sir," said Doc. "The government could not afford to keep them open."

"So you trained Gabe there," I said.

"Yes, I trained then-Midshipman Crewman Gashtar," replied d'Honaire. "He had a lot to learn."

"Tell me about it," replied Gabe. "Here I was, fresh out of high school, straight-A student, son of a Medal of Honor receipient, and when I went to the U.N. Aerospace Academy, I thought I knew everything. Vincent d'Honaire was my Midshipman Space Sergeant; he kept having to correct me that first year. I can not count how many times I had to do the dirty work. And I thought my dad was strict…"

"It worked. You became a Midshipman Corporal instead of a Midshipman Crewman First Class your second year, unlike three fourths of midshipmen."

"Yes, sir."

"I am wondering why you went to the Space Marines instead of the private sector, like I did," I said.

"All graduates of ze U.N. Academy have to go to military service, either in part or in full," replied the lieutenant.

That was right. At the Academy operated by the Tirol Republic, military service was only required for those who completed the upper level ROTC, which was not required for graduation _per se_. I did not go into upper-level ROTC, unlike Mimi.

"Anyway," d'Honaire continued, "I waz a great midshipman, I was a Midshipman Lieutenant Commander my last year, and I developed an interest of combat aviation. Ze Space Marines were very interested in me. I accepted."

"Yes, sir, I went to your commissioning ceremony. I saw you in those dress blues, as the butter bars were pinned on your shoulders."

"I did not ask this when we saw each other on the _Calavacci_. What rank did you have when you graduated?"

"Midshipman Commander."

"Commander? Not Lieutenant Commander?"

"Yes, sir."

"You were ze XO?"

"And I had hardly any time to just lay back in that studio suite that XO's were provided for their quarters. Anyway, sir, it hardly needs to be said that you inspired me to be better than my best, to follow you in the Space Marines."

Drinks were served. Just water.

"I want to propose a toast," said d'Honaire. "To ze officers and crew of ze United Earth Ship _Bruno J. Calavacci_."

We all raised our glasses of water.

"To the _Calavicci_ ," we said.

I looked and saw all of the officers stand at attention. I looked and saw the man that d'Honaire called Colonel Khin. He sat next to us.

"I must meet you," he said in this thick accent. "I no speak good English."

And so we continued eating. We ate these hot noodles with chicken meat cut into cubes.

"Don't get use to this," said the colonel. "Veggie stew with rice, what we always eat."

Gabe and his friend dominated the conversation, talking about their experiences at the Academy.

"You have a fine lady here," said d'Honaire. He looked at me. "You are from Glorie?"

"Yes, I was born there," I replied.

"I did take a few field trips, even went to zat Santoso Island."

Faded memories of my home briefly surfaced.

"We must tell you of situation," said Khin. "D'Honaire will brief you."

"Yes, sir," replied d'Honaire. "About the Invid, not all of them are aligned with the Regency."

"Oh, really?" asked Laureline.

"We are allies with this rebel faction," said the Space Marine pilot. "They oppose the Regent and Regess because they follow in the footsteps of the Robotech Masters."

"We have allies with them," said Colonel Khin.

"Rebel factions," muttered Gabe.

I tapped his shoulder and we stood up.

"Gabe," I whispered, "that dream I had, about an Invid war criminal sentenced by the Regent."

"Yes?"

"What if he wasn't a war criminal? What if his 'war crime' was merely objecting to the Regent's evil?"

"Rebel factions could provide us with protoculture."

"What are you two lovers talking about?" asked Lieutenant d'Honaire.

"It's great that you made allies with Invid rebels," said Gabe.

"Well, some humans in this region of Earth threw their lot with the Regency."

"Like who?"

"The Karen."

"This Karen does not seem like a very nice lady," I said.

"Karen does not refer to a lady, but a tribe of people," said d'Honaire. "Zey ally with ze Invid Regencie. Zey have committed ze atrocities, even slaughtering children."

Laureline was visibly disturbed by these claims.

"These Karen people are allied with the Regency," said Gabe. "They are enemies of the Space Marines. Lieutenant d'Honaire, I will gladly support you in your fight against them and the Invid Regency."

"You have come far, Gabriel Gashtar," replied Vincent d'Honaire.

"You and your people may join," said Colonel Khin.

The right answer was obvious.

I was with Gabe!


	31. Duel

As Colonel Khin had said, the standard fare here was vegetable stew with rice. It was not that bad. The heat was still oppressive, as the place did not have air conditioning. My job was routine, maintaining the Alphas, Beta, Cyclones, and Garland.

At least there was running water with flush toilets and hot showers, which was more than what I could say or write about our prior camp sites.

Finally we were invited to a meeting with Lieutenant Vincent d'Honaire and some of the local officers. Colonel Khin chaired the meeting, being the commanding officer.

"Lieiutenant d'Honaire, if you will," said the colonel.

"Yes, sir," replied d'Honaire. "We are going to launch an offensive against a Karen stronghold here." He pointed at a map. "If we take out their fortress, it open the way to their territory."

"We still have to worry about the Regency," said Doc.

"Sources indicate the Regency is otherwise precoccupied," said Gabe's friend. "We have an opportunity to deal the Karen a critical blow."

"There's no guarantee the Invid Regency will stay preoccupied," said Gabe.

"I will fly my Alpha and land on the ground to lase targets," said d'Honaire. "You will deliver the firepower."

"Yes, sir," said Gabe.

And that was what we did.

Colonel Khin and Lieutenant d'Honaire were allied with the Invid rebels, and we had to help them.

I got into my Beta veritech guardian, and started the war machine up. Everything was okay, I took off.

"Zis iz how it should be," I heard Vincent d'Honaire say. "We are like shooting stars. Zey will never stop us."

"ETA to target five minutes," said Gabe.

We were alert,. The Regency could send a flight of Invid Fighter Scouts to intercept us at any time.

"Wyvern to Titan, I'm landing on the ground," said d'Honaiure. "I will mark ze targets."

"Copy," said Gabe.

My heart was racing as I clutched the control stick of the Beta.

I could see a tower in the distance being lit, most likely by d'Honaire. I opened fire. The tower went up in fire. There were more explosions as Gabe and Laureline destroyed their targets.

"All right!" yelled d'Honaire. "Let's move in."

And so we did, switching to battloid mode and landing in an open area of the Karen base.

I was ready, expecting gunfire from the Karen troops.

Except there was no gunfire.

"they seemed to have surrendered," said Laureline.

"they may be in shock now," said Lieutenant d'Honaire, "But they may be regrouping."

Something was amiss.

There were no solid structures here, no Quonsets.

The buildings looked primitive.

"Is this the right place?" I asked.

"I am sure of it," replied d'Honaire. "We secure this area until the ground forces arrive."

"Yes, sir," replied Gabe.

"Something's missing," said Laureline.

"We've got to trust him," said Gabe.

I looked and saw there were children here. Their mothers were embracing them.

"Stay down!" yelled d'Honaire.

We then saw some troop transports arrived. I took a closer look at Doc's Strike Garland was among them.

d'Honaire got out of his Alpha guardian and met with Colonel Khin. As the soldiers secured the area, I noticed them moving some civilians into trucks.

"Titan to Wyvern," said Gabe. "I repeat, Titan to Wyvern. What is going on?"

"Zese were captives held by the Karen," said d'Honaire. "We will take zem to base."

"Right," I said.

"I have seen this before," said Laureline.

Memories of that prison camp operated by the Purifiers surfaced. I remembered seeing those naked girls with collars around their necks. We rescued them and brought them to the Coalition in the Serengeti. Eventually we had to get them past an Invid blockade so they could continue to this city on the other side.

I wondered how those former captives were doing, after over a year.

I saw the trucks leave.

"Okay," said d'Honaire. "It is time for us to return to ze base."

And so we did. We flew back while in guardian mode. I flipped a switch to change my radio's frequency to the private channel for private communications with Gabe.

"Something's not right here," I said.

"What?"

"That Karen base. It was not very well-fortified against a direct attack if it was a strategic base."

"We've got to trust Vincent d'Honaire. He trained me my first year. He lost his whole squadron to the Invid Regency, like I did. He and I, we may be the only survivors of the _Calavicci_."

It was not too long before we landed back at the base. We all got out of our planes.

"Another successful mission, eh?" said Lieutenant d'Honaire.

"Yes, sir," replied Gabe. "I'm glad we rescued them."

"I must make my after-action report for Colonel Khin," replied the lieutenant. "Perhapzwe can have zome entertain- _ment_."

"Maybe tour some of the villages around here," said Laureline. "I have visited many peoples."

Doc drove up in his Garland hovercycle.

"Lieutenant d'Honaire," he said. "I should assist in providing care to those people we rescued."

"No no no," answered d'Honaire. "we have zem handled. You get zome rest."

"so you came back," said itzak, running up to greet us. "How was it? Did the enemy run scared?"

"Something like that," I replied.

We went back to the Quonset hut where we were billeted. We all sat around our bunks.

"Something is very very suspicious," said Laureline as she sat on a cot.

"They kept me from checking on the people we rescued," said Doc. "With the extra demand, they should need every medic and corpsman on hand."

I stood up. "I'm going to go look for Gabe," I said.

"We have your back," said Laureline.

And so I went to look for Gabe, dressed in my CVR-03 armor. I had gotten familiar with the layout of the base. It was dark and I did not want to draw too much attention to myself.

I then came across a chain-link fence. I could see some people on the other side. I glanced through a pair of binoculars.

I saw people from that Karen base. They were being held in some sort of enclosure. A soldier took one of the people, a girl, out.

She wore a collar, and the soldier led her out by a leash.

I put down the binoculars.

I could see Gabe speaking with Vincent d'Honaire.

"What are you guys doing?' he asked. "Why is she being led by that leash?"

"Ze girls from zat village, they are part of the boo-tee," said d'Honaire. "We will enjoy them.:

One of the men used a bayonet to tear the girl's clothes off. I had a look at her. She had long black hair, looked to be no older than fourteen years, starting her transition from girl to woman.

"We will give her to you," said d'Honaire. "you can break her in, turn zis girl into a wo-man."

I then noticed bayonet blades under my chin.

There was not much I could do. It would take less than a quarter of a second for that soldier to slit my throat.

I was escorted to that enclosure where Gabe and d'Honaire were.

"Your girl here, right?" asked d'Honaire.

"Leave her out of this!" yelled Gabe.

"You are not ze team player here," replied his one-time mentor. "We will let you, the medic, and the boy go. She and the _Madamoiselle_ Laureline will stay to help us get ze rocks off."

"No," said Gabe. "Here is what I will offer you, sir. You surrender to my custody. My people and I will protect you, keep you safe. I will turn you over to the custody of a superior military authority. They will decide whether or not to convene a general court-martial for your war crimes."

d'Honaire burst out laughing. "You can be a comedi-an after you finish your service in ze Space Marines," he said.

"It is no joke."

"War crimes? Regulations. Doez any of that matte down herer? You are just like Ricky."

"Ricky? Who's Ricky? Wait..wait a minute. He crash landed her with you. He tried to stop these atrocities, and you murdered him."

"The rules out there do not apply here! On Earth, we take what we want! We wage war for booty!"

I heard the revving of an engine. I turned and saw Itzak driving my Cyclone veritech!

I got on and hopped on right in front of the boy. I looked and Doc and Laureline burst in. Gabe hopped on to Laureline's bike. We sped away.

I could hear alarms blaring.

"I can find a place to hide," said Itzak, getting off the bike. "Go get 'em."

I transformed into armor mode. I managed to gun down a few troops that approached me.

We could not just high-tail it out of here.

We had to jhelp those Karen people.

Laureline and I drove towards the enclosure where the Karen were held captive. Laureline transformed into armor mode and opened the gates to the holding pen.

They all stayed there. It was not enough to unlock the gate; we had to clear an escape route.

One of the captives, a woman about my age, pointed.

I turned and saw three VHT-1 Spartas hovertanks approaching us. They all turned into battloid mode.

We had to take cover.

Suddenly, one of the Spartas battloids exploded. I looked and saw a blue Alpha fighter flying towards us.

That was Gabe!

We started engaging the Spartases.

More blasts came from the sky. I looked and saw a red Alpha veritech fighter.

"That must be d'Honaire!" yelled Gabe. He took off to engage his old mentor.

I could not keep track of the battle in the sky. Laureline and I had to handle the ground forces. Doc soon joined us, his Strike Garland in battloid mode.

And so we began this dance, of finding cover and concealment while firing on the Spartases. A few blasts whizzed too close to me. I did not even want to imagine what a direct hit would do.

Gabe was up in the sky, in an aerial duel with Vincent d'Honaire.

I wished I could help him.

I knew that he was wishing he could help me.

My dance took me to another section of the base. I could see wooden shacks and Quonset huts. A vehicle exploded too close to me.

I could see the Spartas battloid right in front of me.

Behind the battloid were some drums.

I fired on the drums.

They exploded, and the enemy battloid was taken with it.

I could not celebrate my victory. I had to help Laureline and Doc.

There was no telling when Gabe will be able to help us.

We all had to dance around the remaining spartases.

My heart was racing.

I then heard some more gunfire.

More enemy troops?

The Invid Regency?

I looked and saw some of the Karen prisoners.

The driver of the Spartas had been distracted.

Laureline went after him at top speed, transforming into armor mode. She and the Sprtas battloud were wrestling. The Spartas then changed into guardian mode, exposing the pilot.

Laureline lifted the Spartas driver up and snapped his neck.

We were on alert. I looked and amnd saw the two alphas fly around each other, shifting modes every so often.

The blue Alpha got behind the red one and opened fire. The red VFA-6 Alpha fell to ther fground, smoke coming from behind, and then flame erupted from the ground.

Vincent d'Honaire was dead.

Gabe soon landed his veritech near us, switching to battloid mode.

The base was secure.

I saw Colonel Khin dragged out by the two Karen. I saw the fear in his eyes.

He felt powerless. He was babbling.

"Wait!" he cried out to us. "Please.!Tell them to let me go! Don't let them kill me! I don't want to die!"

I turned around, expecting to hear gunfire.

I heard no gunfire.

Did they spare him?

I looked back.

I saw a crowd of women, moving rifles up and down.

It took a few a seconds to realize what they were doing.

I looked at Gabe, who had gotten out of the Alpha cockpit.

"You did great up there," I said.

"There was nothing great about it," said Gabe. He looked down.

"We will have to take care of these people," said Doc. "We participated in their initial capture in the first place."

I looked at the prisoners we freed.

Colonel Khin's allies may be coming here at any time.

We had to get them out of here.


	32. Bad Boy Crush

Today was an exciting day.

We have had contact with these aliens for quite some time now; they were sending envoys down to greet us.

 _Wait, I'm reliving the memories of an Invid again._

I was prepped up, ready to go to the landing field.

The Regess stood behind me.

"Our friends are in orbit, your Grace," I said.

"The Royal Guard will be arriving there as well," she replied.

"I shall show them the hospitality of the Regency, my lady Regess," I said.

I went to the Hive's landing pad and boarded the air transport. I looked down, seeing the many buildings and facilities that supported the Hive of Hives. It was not too long before we reached the landing field. The field's guards were already in position.

I stood. Some Royal Guards joined me, all fully prepared for this day.

Pretty soon, a ship of a design I never saw before approached the landing field, extending their landing gears.

 _I've seen that design before._

The ship's struts touched down on the tarmac. I was excited.

I knew what the aliens looked like from the wireless transmissions, but to see them in person.

Two figures walked out. They were bipedal and bimanual. One of them was lavender and pink. The other was brown and pink.

 _They look like humans._

I introduced myself.

"My name is Zor," said the lavender-and-pink visitor. "I am the envoy from the world of Tirol."

 _Zor?_

The _Zor? Founding Father of the Robotech Masters and Robotechnology?_ That _Zor?_

"And I am Cabell," said his companion.

"The Invid Regency welcomes you both," I said. "We shall go to the Hive of Hives so you can meet our rulers, the Regent and the Regess."

And that was what we did. Soon we reached the landing pad of the Hive of Hives. Escorted by Royal Guards, we walked through the halls.

Very soon we reached this grand, ornate room, with the finest of carpets and wallpaper anywhere in the Regency. Sitting on their thrones were the Regent and the Regess. I bowed.

"My lord Regent, my lady Regess, it is my humble duty to introduce to you, the envoys from the world of Tirol," I said.

"Welcome to the Invid Regency," said the Regent.

"Thank you, your Grace," replied Zor. "I am Zor of Tirol."

"And I am Cabell."

"May our meeting here start a thousand years of friendship," said the Regess.

Oooooo

I was put in charge of handling our alien guests. I showed them a tour of the Hive of Hives, as well as the various nearby places on Optera.

"Tirol is a moon, orbiting this gas giant planet we call Fantoma," said Zor as we walked along the field.

I picked up one of the Flowers growing in the field and gave it to Zor.

"What is this?" he asked.

"This is the Flower of Life," I said. "It is the raw material for protoculture, the very life blood of the Invid."

"Interesting," said Zor. "If I could study its properties…"

"There are plenty of flowers. They grow here naturally."

"And I suppose you can spare us a sample of this protoculture," said Cabell.

"I might be able to make arrangements."

We continued talking as we walked through the field.

"There was a legend of my people, going back to its prehistory," said Zor. "A Caretaker once rescued our ancestors from a world of pain and suffering, and created a paradise on Tirol. But our ancestors rejected the Caretaker's morality, so He left. Some people wonder where he went. I guess these legends resonated with me; that was why I wanted to explore beyond our solar system."

"I would be interested in your stories," I said.

I was reluctant to tell him that Optera was neither the homeworld of the Flower of Life or the Invid. I still remembered reading and watching and listening to the records regarding the War with the Shadow, the footage of the Shadow destroying our homeworld, the centuries-long search for a world where the Flower could grow naturally.

That could not be cast into legend.

But maybe the Tirolians know about the Children of the Shadow. Were the Shadow still out there?

Were they waiting to destroy Optera?

Ooooooooo

After a few days, Zor and Cabell left Optera, presumably going back to Tirol. Their visit was certainly the conversation topic among the Royal Court and the Hive Lords. Already a permanent data link was being installed to connect Optera with Tirol.

There was my other duty.

I went through the procedure, being checked both by the guards and the automated security system.

I went down into the Hole, walking through some corridors.

And I told him about recent developments.

"While the Universe has gotten bigger for the Regency, this cell is my Universe for all practical purposes," he said.

"You have me," I said.

"A voice on the other side of a door."

"Don't say that," I said.

"You're right. I shouldn't. Listening to your stories, hearing about your life, it is almost as if I was out there with you."

"I'm not the only one who thinks your imprisonment was a grave injustice. Others in the Royal Court, some of the Hive Lords, are having questions. Even the Hive Lords who had opposed you originally."

 _I know this type of guy._

"You," he said. "I like that you are able to see past your eyes and listen past your ears. You sense the truth."

"Thank you. I know what many advisors and Hive Lords have called you. But you have..you have a pure soul."

 _What?_

There was no Invid like him. He had a vision.

He wanted what was best for Invidkind.

I loved him. There was no one else I can imagine loving.

"Girl, he's playing you. Don't give in! It's just a bad boy crush!"

I was awake. I was back into my human life.

"Replaying the memories of an Invid again?" asked Gabe.

"Yes, I was," I said.

It took a few seconds to reacclimate to my environment. I was in a tent. I could hear rain outside. I went out, feeling the raindrops against my skin. Around me there were tall trees.

Many of the Karen were in these makeshift tents. We were heading east, as far as we could from where they were held prisoner. We could not know if that Colonel Khin's allies were following us.

"You can not sleep well?" asked one of the Karen women, who spoke pretty good English.

"Just dreams of another life," I replied. "I am wondering how you learned to speak good English."

"I was a corporal," she said. "U.N. Spacy. My last assignment was at the Air Station in Lemoore in California. I went back home after the Second War."

"I see," I said.

I still shuddered about what I witnessed back at that base. How many more did Colonel Khin- and Vincent d'Honaire- victimize?

It was time for an aerial patrol. I suited up and got into the cockpit of my VFB-9 Beta veritech, going through the motions to start the engines. I rose up in to the rainy sky.

I looked around, hovering at an altitude of one hundred meters above the ground. Everything looked peaceful.

Except one spot. There was smoke. I fiddled with the radio controls.

I heard panicked voices.

"Titan Two to Ground Control," I said. "There seems to be trouble. I'll check it out."

"Be careful," said Laureline.

I flew a bit closer.

"I can see some bogeys flying around," I said. I need to take a closer look.

I switched my Beta to battloid mode and landed in the jungle. I magnified my view for a more detailed look.

I saw Invid troopers in a firefight with some mecha.

"We got bandits on the ground," I said. "I'm going in."

And I did. I went in and blasted the Invid trooper, which down as a smoking ruin.

"I'm on your side!" I yelled to the humans over the speaker.

I did my best to help my new allies fight off this Regency offensive. Fortunately, the Beta was a very durable mecha. I managed to take down one more Invid trooper.

There was another large Invid mecha- an Enforcer. This guy was tough. He blasted one of my allies. We had to take shelter.

Then, two Alphas went in- one blue and one green.

We all fired at the Enforcer, which exploded, scattering mecha parts everywhere.

"We managed to arrive before the party ended," said Laureline.

A man approached us. He was wearing armor dated from the last war. He looked to be the commander of the human troops here.

"Titan Three, head back to Camp," said Gabe.

"Copy that," replied Laureline. She took off in her green Alpha.

We got off our planes to greet our host.

"Third Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines, Titan Squadron," said Gabe.

"Gashtar?" asked the man. "I once served with a Gunnery Sergeant Walera Gashtar."

"He's my dad. He's a Command Sergeant Major last time I heard from him."

"Your father was one of the best enlisted men I served with."

I looked at the man, about mid thirties, with a strong jaw, black hair, amber-complected skin.

"Excuse me, sir," I said. "What is your name?"

"Colonel Van Nguyen, Vietnamese Liberation Force," he replied. "I used to be First Lieutenant Nguyen, United Nations Space Marines, Wolf Pack. That was how I knew then-Gunnery Sergeant Gashtar. Let me take you down to base where I can get you two a cup of hot tea."

"Thank you, sir," replied Gabe. "I do have a few requests."

"Follow me."

And so we did. We went through some underground concrete corridors and entered this dimly lit room. There was a table and some more tea.

"I apologize for not having much regarding decorations here," he said.

A young woman dressed in short-sleeve camouflage entered, providing teacups and pouring hot tea. It felt so good drinking it.

"I hope you enjoy our tea," said the colonel.

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"This underground bunker is part of a system of bunkers and tunnels running from south to north. Some of the tunnels were first opened in the mid-20th century."

"I see, sir," said Gabe.

"I understand that you have a request, Lieutenant Gashtar," said Nguyen.

"Yes, sir." Gabe proceeded to tell the colonel about our experiences with the Karen, and how we ended up responsible for just under a hundred Karen refugees.

"So tragic," said Colonel Nguyen. "Humans today refighting conflicts that predate the arrival of the Zentraedi. Much of the world did plunge into chaos after the War with the Robotech Masters. This facility does not have enough room for the Karen. I will allow them to settle on the surface nearby, on Vietnamese territory."

"That will have to be good enough, sir."

"But it may not be good enough. The Invid have launched frequent bombing raids against Vietnam. We were lucky to have repelled that last attack. And they might launch a greater offensive against us. I will try to find out if any of our allies in the anti-Invid Resistance can help."

"We are grateful for your help, sir. It, well, it is just that …well, I was tricked into attacking that Karen village."

"Tricked?"

"Yes, sir. One of Colonel Khin's men was First Lieutenant Vincent d'Honaire. d' Honaire used to be my midshipman instructor during my plebe year at the United Nations Aerospace Academy. He told me that the Karen were allied with the Invid Regency."

"Even if they were allies of the Regency, what Khin and d'Honaire were doing to them could not be justified."

"I must go back to the camp where the Karen are," said Gabe. He stood up, and then turned around. "Do you know of any rebel Invid factions, sir? Any of them going against Reflex Point?"

"I have no knowledge of anything like that, Lieutenant Gashtar," the colonel replied.


	33. A Time for Pho

We returned to the Karen camp a few minutes after our meeting with Vietnamese Liberation force Colonel Van Nguyen, informing Laureline, Doc, and Itzak about our meeting with Colonel Van Nguyen.

"So they will help us settle?" asked the Karen woman who was a U.N. Spacy veteran.

"Yes," replied Gabe. "But Vietnam is still a theater of the war with the Invid. It could be dangerous."

"We can't go back home."

"The colonel did say he is contacting his allies. Maybe they can offer better shelter."

"Shall we go?" asked Doc.

"Yes."

And so that was what we did. We made sure to check our supplies, count heads, do a cursory inspection of the engines of our vehicles.

Finally all eyes were on Gabe.

"Let's go, peeps," he said.

And we did. I walked along the ground on my beta in battloid mode, while Gabe and Laureline hovered in the air. I glanced at the truck, which carried Doc and Itzak along with their bikes. I was alert, on the lookout for any attack from the Invid Regency.

I thanked the Lord Jesus that there were no Invid attacks.

Eventually, we reached this clearing not far from the Vietnamese base. Some of the Vietnamese troops were already there.

An open-air truck pulled up, and Colonel Nguyen stepped out.

"Lieutenant Gashtar," he said.

"Colonel Nguyen," replied Gabe. "Thank you for this hospitality you could provide."

"I asked about you, Lieutenant," replied the colonel. "I made contact with New Masada in Israel. Showed them your picture. They confirmed that you told them what you told me."

New Masada.

That was almost a year ago.

We spent almost a whole year crossing this continent called Asia.

"How did you contact New Masada, sir?" asked Gabe.

"The Internet. Data is transmitted through a network of underground and submarine cables. We have contacts all over Earth."

"I see."

"I wish we could spare more food," said Nguyen. "We can't house these refugees, but we might be able to provide medical care for the sick ones."

"Thanks, sir."

"You are welcome. I hope we can chasse the Invid off this planet. I would like to see your father again."

"Me too."

The colonel left.

"I don't like this," Gabe said to me.

"Why?"

"I don't know if we can trust him with the Karen," said Gabe. "what if he does…what d'Honaire did to them."

"You do not trust him."

"Well, I am certain he served with my dad. And I am certain he contacted New Masada. But then again, Vincent d'Honaire was my midshipman instructor. He mentored me when I was struggling! I trusted him, and he betrayed me!"

"I know how that feels."

"You can't possibly know.."

I put his hand on my skull. Or, more precisely, where a piece of my skull was missing, with only a steel alloy to cover the hole.

"You told me about those girls," he said.

"They were my friends," I said. "It was that betrayal, as much as ,..as much as being exposed online, that gave me incentive to end my own life. If I had been a better shot, I would have been dead at fifteen years old!"

"It's not as bad."

"What?" I felt angry, angry about Gabe dismissing the pain and anguish I felt back then. About the shame and humiliation I felt, about.

Then I started thinking, about our role regarding the Karen.

"You're right," I said. "d'Honaire tricked us..tricked me..into helping him commit war crimes. That was a worse betrayal."

"The problem is, the Karen have nowhere else to go. They are at Nguyen's mercy. And there's no guarantee that he's merciful!"

He was right.

But what could I do?

Oooooooooo

A temporary campsite was set up. The Karen refugees slept in tents. The Vietnamese were gracious enough to serve this noodle soup called _pho_. It tasted delicious, even though the servings were small.

I did not hear of any mistreatment of the Karen by our Vietnamese hosts.

But there was no guarantee that Nguyen would go all out if we left them here.

I looked. Itzak was playing with some of the Karen children. They were laughing.

Sadly, Itzak could relate to them too well, as he lost his family and his home. I could still remember seeing the anguish and shock on his face after that fateful night.

I was glad they were playing together. It provided some relief from the tension in the air.

The Karen, the people that we attacked, face danger, from both Invid and human.

Oooooo

It was not long afterward that I got news.

And it was not news of another Regency offensive against Vietnam.

"I was down there with the colonel," said Gabe. "I spoke with this guy at this huge underground base."

"Where is this base?" I asked.

"It's located near this place called Tokyo, in this island called Japan. They are offering asylum to the Karen."

"That's great," said Laureline.

"What's more, they have UEF units operating there, and I was offered a post there."

"Do you trust them?" I asked.

"I asked for their radio callsign. They said their callsign was Megazone Two-Three. I've heard that callsign before."

That sounded familiar.

"An Ocean Patrol submarine should be on its way. They sometimes provide supplies to the Vietnamese resistance. The sub will transport the Karen people to Japan."

Gabe sounded hopeful.

We informed the Karen, and the English speakers among them relayed the message.

We could not force them to come with us, of course.

But almost all of them decided to come with us.

Japan was far away from Colonel Khin's allies.

Ooooooo

I looked ahead, past the shoreline, towards the ocean. I heard this was called the South China Sea, a section of the Pacific Ocean. Waves crashed onto the beach. Bords flew overhead.

"This use to be surf site," said this Vietnamese sergeant, Quan Tran.

It took almost a day to reach this place from Colonel Nguyen's base. Much of the delay was due to having to send scouts to ensure we did not lead the Karen into an Invid ambush.

"Look," said Laureline.

Something in the distance arose.

It was the top of a submarine.

A boat soon deployed from the submarine, carrying uniformed sailors. The motor boat approached closer and closer.

The men got out of the boat and Nguyen and Gabe greeted them. He showed them a piece of paper, laminated in plastic.

I could see them talking to each other, but they were too far for me to hear.

I walked up to them.

"Change of orders have been acknowledged," said this man, who was a lieutenant commander in the Ocean Patrol, judging by the brass oak leaves on the collar of his blue overalls.

They had no contact with their base via radio as the Invid Regency jammed long-distance transmissions; I figured that they had some sort of authentication system- not that they would tell me how it _exactly_ works.

And then, the Karen refugees boarded the boat, which took them to the submarine. Gabe spoke with the sub's captain. The boats moved back and forth to transport the Karen, as well as supplies from the boat to the Vietnamese troops.

Then, the last boat was ready to depart. Colonel Nguyen and Sergeant Tran were on the boat, along with Doc and Itzak., as well as Doc's GR-002 Strike Garland veritech hovercycle and Itzak's Suzuki motorcycle.

The plan was for Doc and Itzak to ride in the sub, while Gabe, Laureline, and I flew the planes to Japan. It would take two days for the sub to reach the base.

"Take care of them, Doc," saiod Gabe.

"Yes, sir," he replied.

I looked at Itzak and hugged him.

"Take care," I said. "Behave yourself."

"I promise," he replied.

I watched as the boat took to the sub. I watched as they boarded the sub.

The sub then sank into the South China Sea.

"We'll see them in two days," said Laureline.

"It's just that we can't even contact them by radio," I said.

"We'd better get flying," said Gabe, fastening his CVR-03 armor.

I went into the cockpit of the Beta fighter. I made a last-second instrument check to make sure everything was running smoothly. The board was green, so I took off.

I pressed some buttons on the autopilot according to the coordinates Gabe said came from the underground base. I felt the thrusters push back.

"This isn't the straight line course," said Gabe. "But this slight detour keeps us far from that Invid garrison in Haiphong to the north of here."

"And I was hoping for a fun flight," said Laureline.

"I want to see this place," I replied.

"There will be room for all of us, and the Karen refugees," said Gabe.

We were flying rather low, to avoid detection by the Regency.

We were trying to get from Point A to Point B.

We were not looking for trouble.

But trouble came looking for us.

"I see some bogeys above us," said Laureline.

That was almost certainly Invid. Maybe it was an escort for an aerial transport.

Maybe they would not approach us.

"Three bogeys, closing in at eight o'clock," said Laureline.

So much for that idea.

"We'll try to avoid a firefight until we can reach our destination," said Gabe. "Titans, evasive maneuvers!"

And so we flew evasively, weaving around. It would delay us, but flying in a straight line makes for an easy target.

"They are closing in," I said, looking at the screen. "Eight thousand meters. "

"Faster, faster," said Gabe.

I was at full throttle.

I then saw blasts fly right by us.

"We've no choice," said Gabe. "Engage!"

And so we did, flying around to engage with the Invid fighter scouts.

"Scratch one!" yelled Gabe.

"Splashed another bandit," said Laureline.

"Titan to Megazone Two Three," said Gabe. "We are under attack. We request reinforcements."

No one replied.

"Titan Three, you have a bandit on your six!" yel;led Gabe.

"I can't shake him!" yelled Laureline.

I looked at my radar screen.

Where was she?

There she was.

"This is titan Two, I'm going in!" I yelled.

I could see the Invid fighter scout chasing Laureline's green Alpha.

I had the fighter scout in my sight.

I opened fire. The Regency's fighter scout soon exploded, scattering mecah bits everything.

"Thanks, Titan Two," said Laureline.

"You…"

I then saw some blasts go right too close to me.

"We got more bandits!" yelled Gabe.

"Let's get on with it!" I yelled.

We kept engaging the bandits. I did my best to evade the shots. I was straining myself to the breaking point.

"That's another one," said Laureline.

"That last bandit's bugging out," SAID Gabe. "Resume course."

And so we did, flying high to our destination.

"Titan Two, you are losing altitude," said Gabe.

"I am?" I asked. I looked at the altimeter. I was going down. "I must have taken some battle damage…owww!"

I felt a sharp pain. I clutched my right shoulder.

I looked at my glove and there was blood.

My blood.

"Titan Two to Megazone Two three," I said. "I'm hurt real bad. I need…medical attention."

"Megazone Two Three!" yelled Gabe. "Do you copy?"

"We copy, Titan," said this scratchy voice. "Turn on…transpond.."

I knew what he meant. Grimacing in pain, I reached to turn on the transponder for my beta.

The indicator light went on.

I was still losing altitude.

"We already have a medivac in the air," said the controller from Megazone Two Three.

"Hold on," said Laureline.

Ugh," I said. "Can't..stay in the air. Got to land."

I could see land ahead to my left and the waters of the Pacific ocean to my right. The ground kept getting closer and closer.

I switched to guardian mode, hoping the transformation mechanisms were not shot.

I felt a thud as the Beta's legs touched the ground.

I opened the cockpit.

I was in pain.

Was this Beta cockpit my grave?

Every heartbeat was excruciating.

I looked up and saw Gabe and Laureline.

I was being lifted up.

And then I fell.

I kept falling.


	34. Prison Break

I could not believe it.

I was in shock.

I was down in the archives of the Hive of Hives, looking up some records regarding construction supplies. The Regent and Regess were away on business.

 _I'm an Invid again. Am I dead, going to live life as an Invid from now on?_

It was while I was down there that the ground shook violently. I wondered if it was another quake. The place became dimmer, with only the emergency lights on.

The elevators were down. I tried the main stairwell, but apparently there was rubble.

Did the Hive of Hives collapse?

"Are you okay?" asked an archivist who worked down here.

"Yeah," I replied. "The stairs above collapsed."

"I know a way out," he replied.

So we walked along this long corridor, lit only by red emergency lights.

We finally emerged out into the open air.

The first thing I noticed was the sky covered with clouds. But it was completely clear of clouds earlier today.

I looked around. The whole surface was devastated, like a powerful quake or storm hit the Hive of Hives. Smoke arose from the ruins.

It seemed too quiet. I would expect aerial vehicles to fly above us, doing a preliminary survey of the damage.

WE managed to gather with a few other survivors.

We managed to find the wreckage of an air vehicle. From its condition it looked as it could no longer fly, but the good news- news which were in short supply at this time- that the wireless still worked.

There were cries for help.

People were saying giant beams fell from the sky, destroying everything.

We were attacked.

There was no confirmation on whether either the Regent or the Regess survived.

I knelt down and started crying.

 _Was this how Dad felt when he first saw the surface of Earth after the First War?_

Oooooooooo

A day later, everything was in ruins. There was no sign of the Regent or Regess. I did make contact with some of the surviving Hive Lords.

I cried when I saw the fields where the Flower of Life once grew. Those fields were reduced to ash.

I heard some reports, that the attackers sent scouts to the surface, presumably to assess the damage. They were said to be giant bipeds.

 _The Zentraedi!_

Were these giants the Children of the Shadow or their successors?

We were disorganized.

The only protoculture we had was what we could scrounge from the ruins of storeroom and warehouses.

There was one person that can help us, unite us against this new threat. One who was experienced in the arts of war.

Ooooooo

Here I was again. The place was still intact, as it was deep underground and thus well-protected from those powerful beams that rained from space.

I finally reached the guard.

"Halt," he said. "It is you." He recognized me. "You have come to visit the prisoner."

"I have come to release him," I said.

"Do you have a copy of the release order from the Crown? I am trained not to release prisoners absent proper authority."

I looked behind at the advisors and the one Hive Lord who had followed me. They all bore metal clubs.

"We _are_ the proper authority."

We took down the guards and I activated the console to release the lock on the cell door. I looked and sqaw the prisoner.

"We are breaking you out," I said.

"That is a foolish risk you took," he replied. "We would be hunted down for the rest of our lives."

"Something terrible has happened," I said. "I shall explain when we leave the Hole."

Oooooooooo

I looked at the crowd below.

Below were survivors of the Royal Court, Hive Lords, their advisors, and guards. The ruins of the Hive of Hives, once the most magnificent structure on the surface of Optera, stood behind me.

"I have had my differences with the Crown," he said. "That does not diminish my desire for payback against those who killed our dear departed Lord Regent and Lady Regess, against those who killed many of us, burnt the surface of our world to a cinder!"

There were yells from the crowd.

"Allow me to lead you, and people across this Galaxy shall fear the Invid Regency! Hail me as your Regent!" He put his arm around me. "Hail her, my wife, as the Regess!"

"All hail the Regent and Regess!" yelled the crowd. "All hail the Regent and Regess!"

"I'm the Regess?!"

I looked around. I was in this room with white walls.

I was back in my real life.

I was not dead.

I hurt too much to be dead.

"You are awake," said this lady in blue overalls.

"You think?" I asked.

"Oh, my apologies, it is just that Ocean Patrol regulations require me to state the obvious." She went to a penl on the room and pressed a button. "Dr. Embry, room 504. Patient is up."

I lay in the bed. I still felt too weak to stand up. This was definitely a hospital room.

Where?

I knew I was trying to fly a Beta from Vietnam to Japan.

I was wounded.

I could be anywhere on Earth.

Or even off Earth, for all I knew.

A woman walked into the room, wearing a white coat over a khaki blouse. An ID tag was pinned to her white coat. She had black hair tied into a bun.

"Hi there," I said.

"I've been looking after your recovery," said the woman, who was clearly a doctor. "Anyway, I must introduce myself. I am Lieutenant Commander Stacy Embry, M.D., United Nations Ocean Patrol Medical Corps and your physician."

"So you saved my life."

"Oh no," replied Dr. Embry. "You can thank Dr. Mayumi Yumekano, the trauma physician. She told me your heart stopped for a minute and a half."

"Well, I'm glad she was able to jump start it."

"You were lucky. If that blast hit a little to the left, you would have been killed instantly. A little further down, you would not be able to have children."

"Stacy, how's your patient?" asked this male voice.

I looked and saw this man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties, with brown hair and a short-cropped brown beard. He wore jeans and a short-sleeved polo shirt.

Entering the room behind him were Gabe, Itzak, Laureline, and Doc. All were dressed in casual clothes. Now that I was thinking of clothes, I noticed I was dressed in a blue gown.

"I don't feel very good," I said to them, "but I'm happy you are here."

"Glad to hear your voice," said Itzak.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

Embry looked at Gabe.

"About one and a half weeks," I said.

"One and a half weeks?" I asked, looking at my hands.

"You went into a coma so your body can heal," said Dr. Embry. "Your friends kept a round-the-clock vigil ever since you came out of the emergency room."

"Perhaps I should introduce myself now," said the bearded man. "I am Mark Landry, Chief of Staff of this whole place."

"Whole place?" I asked.

"The whole place- not just the Ocean Patrol Hospital- used to be the Robotech Research Center, a vast underground complex just outside Tokyo in Japan."

"Yeah, there is like a whole city underground," said Laureline.

"This was the main research center for robotechnology," said Landry. ". The Alpha and Beta fighters, as well as the Cyclone, were developed here, before they went into mass production just before the end of the Second War. This place is now used as the main supply base for anti-Invid operations in the western Pacific. I remember when I first saw this place over sixteen years ago."

"You were a scientist here?" I asked.

"Not exactly."

I started to rise, but then I felt lightheaded.

"Your body is still healing," said Dr. Embry. "You need to rest."

"I'm an engineer," I said. "I'm used to fixing things, not being the one who needs fixing."

"Better take the doctor's advice, babe," Gabe said, putting his hand on my arm.

"You are helping me heal already," I said, lying down on the bed. "Wait, what happened to the Karen?"

"They're fine. Mr. Landry and his staff are helping them integrate with our society here."

That was good to know, after what those Karen had been through.

"As for our Vietnamese friend," continued Gabe, "he took the next supply sub back to Vietnam after a little R & R here. Colonel Nguyen said he had to continue the fight against the Invid. He hoped you would make a full recovery, and he did hope that he could one day sit with me and my dad and family over a bowl of pho."

We both knew the colonel could not promise that.

I fell asleep.

I did not remember exactly what I dreamt about, but it was not reliving the life of an Invid.


	35. Physical Therapy

It felt like a huge milestone.

After graduating the Tirol Aerospace Academy, traveling across the stars, traversing two continents with a band of buddies and with only what we could carry, this felt like an accomplishment.

I was standing, supported only by my feet, along with the four legs of the walker, onto which IO was holding.

I stood for maybe ten seconds. I then had to sit on the bed.

"That's good," said Dr. Stacy Embry, in the hospital room. "It's better than seven seconds."

"Okay," I said.

"I can recommend a physical therapist to help build your strength further," replied the doctor. "You just have to take it one day at a time."

"Well, I'm hungry," I said. "Do I have to eat here?"

I then saw Gabe walk in, pushing a wheelchair.

"I was wondering," he said. "Will you join me for lunch?"

"It's a date," I answered.

Both Gabe and Dr. Embry helped me into the wheelchair. He then pushed me. I looked around at the corridors of the hospital. It had this sharp hospital-like smell.

The last time I was an inpatient at a hospital, it was right after my suicide attempt when I was fifteen. I spent a month in recovery.

Painful memories were arising. I did not want to think of that dark time in my life.

I was pushed to the cafeteria. There were tables and chairs and a serving line. I noticed recruitment posters on the wall for the U.N. Ocean Patrol, with images of submarines and sailors.

"Here we are," said Gabe. A Philly cheese steak wrap." I saw him hold these two wraps.

"What's in it?" I asked.

"Steak, grilled onions, mushrooms, provolone cheese. It originated in this city called Philly."

It sounded like a place of legend, like Asgard or Gotham City or Shangri-La or Planet Namek.

But these wraps tasted delicious. There was nothing mythical about that. During our travels across Africa and Asia, we rarely got to eat food like this. It tasted so good. I washed it down with orange juice.

"I miss Petit cola," I said.

Of course, I still recall the months spent in the deserts of western Asia, where we did not know where we would find our next sip of water.

Gabe wheeled me back to my hospital room.

"You know, after you get out of the Space Marines, maybe you can become a nurse," I said.

"We got to defeat the Invid first," replied Gabe.

Oooooooo

Later that day, I got to meet my physical therapist. He was a young man with brown hair, maybe only a few years older than me. He wore this blue smock.

"I am Vic Yahagi, Licensed Vocational Nurse," he said.

I introduced myself. "Nice to meet you," I said.

"Shall we begin," he said. "We can start by getting used to standing."

"I can't wait to start."

"Eagerness does help in recovery."

Yahagi placed the walker near me. I grabbed the handles and lifted myself up. I counted.

I was up for more than ten seconds. I was ecstatic.

I let go, expecting to stand solely by my own two feet.

I wobbled and fell backward.

"Patience is also required," said Yahagi.

Oooooooo

The day after my first physical therapy session with the nurse Yahagi, Dr. Embry told me I could leave the hospital. I still needed to make occasional visits to her, of course.

I was transported in this van to where Gabe was staying. I looked around. It was an underground city, as Laureline had said. The chamber looked like it was a klick tall. The largest structure was this hourglass-like metal thing that was taller than any of the buildings; I wondered if that was the reflex furnace that powered the whole place. After we stopped by this apartment building, Gabe unfolded the wheelchair and helped me into it. He then pushed the wheelchair as I sat on it.

We went through this courtyard before going through the door. We entered a living room with some couchesdand a flat screen television. There was a kitchenette at the side, with a stove and microwave oven and a sink.

"We have not stayed in a place like this since we were at that Indian king's palace," I said.

"That place was a lot nicer," replied Gabe. "Still, this place is nicer than what the Space Marines offer second lieutenants at the home front."

"Maybe," I replied.

"Allow me to carry you."

"Sure."

And so he did. I looked and noticed I was being carried into the bedroom.

He lay down next to me.

"I have exciting news," he said. "After I reported to the military commanders here, I got a 702 promotion to second lieutenant."

"702 promotion?" I asked. I knew a little of the military from the lower-level ROTC classes I had to take, but not that much.

"It refers to Section 702 of the United Earth Forces Code," answered Gabe. "Commanders in the field, not in contact with their headquarters, may promote subordinates without a promotion board to approve. You are now lying next to United Nations Space Marine Second Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar."

"Congratulations, Second Lieutenant."

"At least until Space Marine Headquarters gets the word. They may decide I should be a Third Lieutenant after all. But let us celebrate."

"Should we not celebrate with Itzak, Laureline, and Doc?"

"Later," said Gabe, looking into my eyes. "But I want to celebrate with you first. And I can think of another therapy that can help you get better."

Over an hour later, I definitely felt better.

OOOOOOOO

Itzak, Laureline, and Doc did celebrate Gabe's promotion with us. It was at this Chinese restaurant called the Golden Dragon. Gabe and Laureline helped me to our table as the host led our party.

"I never had Chinese food before," said Itzak.

"There is this Chinese restaurant in Primopolis on Planet Glorie," I said. "It was called the White Dragon. It was part of a chain of restaurants. I think there were branches open on Tirol and in Space Station Liberty. My dad used to go to the one on the SDF-1 _Macross_."

This old man came out to greet us.

"Welcome to my restaurant," he said. "The name is Ling Baoxiong."

"Pleasure to meet, you, Mr. Ling," I said. I introduced myself.

"I'm Itzak," said Itzak.

"We're just celebrating Gabe's promotion to second lieutenant."

"Fighting the Invid, eh?" asked Ling.

"Yes, sir," replied Gabe. "Second Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines."

Laurleine and doc introduced themselves.

"I serve a lot of people," said Ling. "a lot from the military.

"You have done well," said Doc.

"I've been in this business tgoo long. "You know, the Golden Dragon has a long history. Our original location was in Yokohama, over thirty years ago. When the Zentraedi carpet bombed the Earth, my dear wife Shigeyo and I were ina storm drain. There was this grate behind the restaurant that connected to the storm drain system. When we heard those alien ships were surrounding the Earth, we went down there. There were hundreds of thousands of survivors in Yokohama, over a million in Tokyo. Bomb shelters, subway tunnels, storm drains- even sewer tunnels. The Emperor at the time of course had his deep underground palace; his granddaughter Reiko now reigns over- or rather, under Japan- from that same palace. So many places to hide from the bombs and beams."

"Do you have any family?" asked Laureline.

"I have my dear wife Shigeyo. I might still have a daughter. She wanted to be a singer, was in love with some flyboy, went out into space during the first colonization missions a quarter of a century ago. Now my employees here are the family I have. Which, by the way, I should have one of my family members take your order."

"Of course, sir," said Gabe. "Any recommendations?"

"The Bright and Beautiful Bell combo.

A waitress wearing a white collared shirt and black slacks came to take our orders, and I ordered the Bright and Beautiful bell combo. It was basically three-flavor sizzling rice soup, chow mein, and chow fun.

"What have you been doing?" I asked.

"Well, I am on leave. The leaders here think I've spent enough time fighting the Invid; hard to believe I've been doing that for nearly one and a half years now. I hope to be attached to Orca Squadron- they are an Ocean Patrol veritech squadron operating from here. Some of them came to greet you when you landed your Beta in Japan."

"And what is the situation here?" asked Doc.

"This isn't the only underground bunker in Japan, though it is the largest. Some of the bunkers in Japan were built in the mid-20th century. This is the only one in Japan- in the western Pacific really- with a submarine drydock, of course. This is also a command and control center as well as a supply base. There are units from the Japanese Imperial Self-Defense Force and the People's Army of China garrisoned here, as well the Ocean Patrol."

And so we continued to eat. It was nice being able to eat at a sit-down restaurant with my friends. It was almost like living in peace.

Or was it the eye of a hurricane?

Ooooooooo

My battle was not with the Invid, but against the hurdles against making a full recovery. I made sure to go to every session with Nurse Vic Yahagi, doing these exercises. Gabe or Laureline would often accompany me.

I told Yahagi about my journey.

"I guess you are used to struggling," he said.

"That does not mean I get tired of the struggle, sometimes," I said. I briefly reflected on the times I could have simply laid low and lived in peace- staying with the remnants of Colonel Eli Wheatley's forces near Lake Kyoga, accepting assistance from the Israelis in settling in Egypt, staying in that kingdom ruled by Doc's old war buddy.

"I've had patients who are spending years in therapy," replied the nurse.

I continued my exercises.

Oooooooo

This was also part of my therapy.

I saw children playing in a makeshift playground. Nearby were some Quonset huts. This was where the Karen refugees were staying.

"I help them readjust to life here," said Laureline. "Not much else to do, as there is no demand for additional people to stand watch against an Invid offensive. Many of them had their whole families slaughtered, like mine was so many years ago."

"At least you have something interesting to do. I just get pushed around these days."

"I don't mind pushing you around."

One of the women approached me. I recognized her as that U.N. Spacy veteran.

"at least you are alive," she said.

"We should all be grateful to be alive," I replied. "I notice something about my clothes. They feel different."

"Anything wrong?"

"They feel clean. I spent over a year wearing dirty clothes. I alsmost forgot what this feels like."

Oooooo

Physical therapy was my major goal. There was spending time with Gabe and the others to keep me company. Itzak was introduced to video games; home video game systems were really hard to come by where he grew up.

I finally managed to be able to walk across a whole room. Nurse Yahagi was proud of my progress.

I only needed a cane to walk.

I of course celebrated with Gabe, Itzak, Laureline, and Doc. And of course I had my own private celebration with Gabe.

Not long after I was able to get around with just using the cane, Gabe took me to this special place. I had to ride an elevator up and we went through this long corridor.

I went out and emerged into the fresh air. Ahead I could see a huge expanse of water. Closer to us there was this bay. Around the bay was the ruins of the city. The sky above was pink,. And there was this lit.

"That is Tokyo Bay," said Gabe. "And beyond that, the Pacific Ocean. I've waited weeks for you to be able to move around enough that we could be here together."

"It's beautiful," I said.

"I imagine people emerging from underground, rebuilding the city by the bay. I imagine ships sailing out of Tokyo Bay, visiting the lands around the Pacific. Listen, you're making good progress. Maybe you will be able to dance by the Ides of March Ball."

"Ides of March?"

"March 15th. That was the anniversary of the Invid Invasion. It will be the thirteenth anniversary this year."

The yellow orb of Earth's sun soon emerged above the horizon. I looked and noticed others were here; this must be a popular spot.

We just enjoyed the morning.

We went back to our place. Sometimes I found it hard to believe that we had our own place, with walls and furniture. We were not planning anything.

Gabe pulled out a piece of paper. And glanced at it. The look on his face all but screamed that he remembered something.

"Remember this?" he asked.

I looked and recognized the scribblings I made on that paper. It was that first Invid dream I had when staying in that cave last year, the cave with the Zentraedi skeleton!

"I know," I said.

"Did you have any more recent dreams?"

I told him about dreaming about the Zentraedi attack on Optera, about how a new Regent and Regess rose to power in the aftermath, hailed by the surviving Hive Lords.

"This can't be random," said Gabe. "You were exposed to these spores, and you are getting history lessons about the Invid."

What did this mean?

It turned out more people wanted to know more about my dreams.

"Some military officers wish to meet you," said Gabe.

And so they did.


	36. The Head of Skull One

I met with the senior military officers inside this conference room. It looked like pretty much any conference room, with a wooden table and chairs. Hot tea was served by this private; it felt good going down my throat.

A woman wearing a green Class "A" army uniform- which was basically a coat and a skirt with all the rank insignia and service ribbons, sat on one of the chairs.

"Colonel Satori, United Nations Army intelligence," she said when she first introduced herself. "I have already met Lieutenant Gashtar when he first arrived here."

"Are we waiting for someone?" I asked as I sat in the chair.

"Yes."

"Colonel, we have a connection," said this dark-haired lady in a similar uniform, but with fewer decorations as well as three chevrons on each sleeve.

"Thank you, Sergeant Isavia," said Satori.

A screen in the back of the room revealed the image of another conference room. Sitting at the head of the table in the other room was this man in a similar outfit to the colonel's. He had black hair. His most notable feature was his left hand, which was made of stainless steel.

"Nova," said the man. "Nice to speak with you. We have not been in the same room in a long time."

"Always an honor to speak with you, sir," said Satori. "I have two people, who traversed two continents while fighting the Invid. They have something interesting to say."

"I should introduce myself," said the man on the screen. "Brigadier General Jack Emerson, United Nations Army, Director of Intelligence for the Anti-Invid Alliance Command."

Gabe stood up. He was dressed in his Space Marine Class "A" uniform, which consisted of trousers, a mandarin-collared shirt, and a coat. "Second Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines, only known survivor of Titan Squadron," he said.

I introduced myself. "General Emerson, I am in the private sector. I am employed by Trans Galactic."

Emerson tweaked with his left hand with his right hand, and then used his left hand to pick up a cup of coffee. "I know of their privateering ships," he said.

"General Emerson," said Colonel Satori, "allow me to be brief, sir. The lady here had been exposed to Spores from the Flower of Life, and has had visions of what I suspect was the past of the Invid Regency. There have been prior reported cases of humans having hallucinations when exposed to the Spores."

I heard the capital "S".

"What were these dreams?"

I stood up, recalling the reliving of the Invid memories- the destruction of the original Invid homeworld, the first contact with Tirol, the Zentraedi attack on Optera, the rise of the current Regent and Regess.

"There is still much we do not know about that Flower," said the general. "Still, the vision that the Invid were not originally from Optera, as we have thought this past decade, and that their homeworld was destroyed by a planet-busting weapon. What were these enemies called?"

I paused for a few seconds. "The Children of the Shadow," I answered. "They definitely were not the ancestors of the Robotech Masters."

"Sir, there must be a way to get this message to Moon Base ALuCE," said Satori.

"The Invid keep jamming transmissions to and from Earth," said Emerson. "We did manage to a few minutes of two-way voice communication with a General Edwards from Expeditionary Command last year, but no two-way communication since then. Who knows if General Edwards is even still alive?"

"If I have another Invid dream again, I will make sure to let Colonel Satori know," I said.

"Thank you," replied General Emerson. "Our meeting is concluded."

"Yes, sir," replied Satori. "I will e-mail you any further developments."

Emerson's image disappeared from the screen.

"If anything comes up, ma'am, we'll contact you," Gabe said to Satori.

Oooooooooo

A few days later, I went to the Veritech Museum with Itzak. The boy clearly had never been to a museum before. The museum was in a giant hangar. We were visiting some of the exhibits. I saw a mock-up of the Alpha prototype in battloid mode, and a plaque telling us that it the prototype was developed right here, around the time I was born, but it took another eight years, with the development of better power plants and smaller transformation mechanisms, before the Alpha and Beta were deemed suitable for mass production and deployment. We visited more exhibits, including those showing how the transformation mechanisms worked. I was able to read every schematic.

I could see the amazement in Itzak's eyes as he took in every exhibit.

I went to one exhibit surrounded by velvet rope. It was this triangular shape, about two meters wide, with one crescent shaped green surface and four long, thin cylinders attached to it, two on each side.

That was the head of a battloid.

There was a plaque on a stand near the exhibit.

 **The Head of Skull One**

Skull One was the first VF-1S Valkyrie veritech fighter, a design for use by veritech squadron and wing commanders. During the First Robotech War, Skull One was flown into combat by former test pilot LCDR Roy Fokker, UNS. After five years of service in combat, Skull One was retired and delivered to the Robotech Research Center here, where it was disassembled for study in designing future generations of veritech combat aircraft. The head of its battloid rests here for all to see.

"Wow," said Itzak. "Nice story."

"My dad flew in Skull Squadron during the first war," I said. "He mentioned his training, having to practice, his life on the ship. He did not talk too much about the combat, though."

"Neither did my dad."

I heard this beeping. For a second I wondered what it was, before I realizled it was my cell phone. I had not carried a cell phone for over a year; I was still reacclimating to the idea.

COL Satori has a plan. Meet me.

"Gabe has something important," I said.

"I'll be fine HERE," said Itzak. . "I'll text you if there's any trouble."

Ooooooooooooo

I lay down on the leather couch. The purple-haired woman, wearing a black blouse and white trousers.

"I can draw what you dreamt about," she said. "Better than you could."

"We'll see," I replied.

Colonel Nova Satori spoke with us. She was interested in the ancient enemy that the Invid Regency had. She knew this forensic artist and we went to her studio, located inside a loft. It was a large place, with a wooden floor. There were many portrait stands. I glimpsed at some of her detailed drawings, which had this photographic quality.

"Are you ready?" asked the colonel.

"Yes," I replied.

"Now just relax," said the artist. She held out a pocket watch suspended by a chain. "Focus on the watch. Good. Now let go. Let go of your conscious self."

I then felt somehow detached, as if I was watching myself.

"You were an Invid?"

"Yes," I heard myself say.

"What did you look like?"

This went on. I heard myself answer her questions. She asked about the enemy spaceships and that planet-busting missile. She even asked for details such as how many thrusters the ships had.

Then I well, became fully awake.

"Did you get the answers you needed?' I asked.

"Take a look," she replied.

I saw the pictures. I saw pictures of the Shadow ships. They were very detailed. They looked like several boxes connected together, and the front had like an open mouth.

I then looked at the warheads that I dreamed destroyed the original Invid homeworld. It was shaped like a mushroom. The base of the cap had a series of circular arcs around the perimeter, and had a round top. There was another drawing, this time showing the cap separating from the stalk.

These drawings were like photographs, much more detail than the crude scribblings I made in that cave.

"I'm impressed," I said. "How long did this take?"

"An hour and a half," replied the artist. "I did get much detail from you. That's why these drawings are so detailed.

Colonel Satori was taking some pictures. 'I am going to make sure the Allied Command and the E.V.E. computer network gets these pictures," she said. "They will need to know how important it is to get these pictures to Expeditionary Command. I had better get back to the office. There's over an hour of work to catch up on. "

I had no argument there.

Oooooooooo

There was another milestone. It was as great as the feeling I had when we finally reached the end of the Nile River a year ago.

I could walk without a cane.

And so I walked around Dr. Stacy Embry's office in the Ocean Patrol hospital.

"You could sit still," said the doctor.

"Let her walk for a while," said Vocational Nurse Vic Yahagi. "To be able to walk on her own two feet." He then spoke to me. "Remember those follow-up visits."

"Got it," I replied.

"I will need to examine you, Miss," said Dr. Embry.

I sat down for the examination. I imagined myself as a mecha, and Dr. Embry as the mechanic.

Ooooooooo

I celebrated my newfound mobility by hanging out at this bar and grill in what was the downtown section of this underground city. It reminded me of this bar and grill in Aresburg on Planet Mars so long ago. I had some bar food like onion rings and mozzarella cheesesticks.

I had a dance with Gabe as music played. It felt so great. I noticed Itzak, Laureline, and Doc watching us.

"You'll be great when we go to the Ides of March Ball," he said. "Imagine me in dinner dress blues, silver bars on my shoulders."

"I'd better get a dress," I said.

"It better look good on you."

"Oh, not as good as it would off me," I whispered.

Not long afterward, I had an interesting meeting. Mark Landry, the Chief of Staff, led us all to this place. We entered this huge chamber and met two people. One of them was Colonel Nova Satori, in her green Class "A" uniform.

The other was this old man in a three-piece suit. His thin hair was white.

"So these are our guests, Mark," he said.

"Yes, sir," he replied.

"I am Chairman Daryl Embry," said the old man. "I manage the civilian community down here."

"Second Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines," replied Gabe.

We all introduced ourselves.

"What is this regarding?' asked Doc.

"We shall let the E.V.E. explain it," said Embry.

The room we were in had so many monitor screens. There was this dry, staticky smell.

An image of a woman with teal hair appeared on all screens.

"I am the Enhanced Video Emulation System," said this female voice. "Also known as the E.V.E."

Gabe, Laureline, Itzak, and Doc had this sense of wonder. I looked towards Embry, Landry, and Satori; I could tell they were much more familiar with the E.V.E.

Gabe introduced himself. "What do you request of us, ma'am?" he asked, standing stiff and tall, clad in his Class "A" service uniform.

"I have been aware of your journey," she replied. "I should tell you more about myself."

"Okay," said Colonel Satori.

"I was the computer system for Lord Zor's space yacht, compiled by Lord Zor himself," said the E.V.E. "His yacht was part of the Zentraedi 118th Transport Fleet, which transported VIP's of the Robotech Masters."

"And Zor was the VIP of VIP's," said Itzak.

"About forty-six years and seven months ago, as your old United Earth Government measured time, Lord Zor, disagreeing with the corruption of the ruling lords over Tirol and its colonies, sent his space yacht to parts unknown, taking with it the only protoculture matrix and its secrets. It took twenty three months' external travel time before his yacht crash landed on this planet that you call Earth. Your people rebuilt his ship, finishing nearly a decade later. Four years after that, the computer core was transferred here to the Robotech Research Center for study."

"Thank you for the history lessons," said Laureline.

The E.V.E. addressed me. "It is my understanding you were exposed to the spores of the Flower of Life," she said.

"That was a year ago," I answered.

"And you have experienced the memories of past Invid."

"Yes."

"Explain these memories."

And so I did,- the destruction of the Invid cradleworld, the first contact with Tirol, the bombing of Optera, the rise of the current Regent and Regess.

"This information must be transmitted to the Expeditionary Forces," said E.V.E. "I have downloaded the images from those dreams, including that of the ships and weaponry of the Shadow."

"Ma'am," asked Colonel Satori, "do you have a plan of getting a hyperspatial signal past the Invid jamming?"

"There is too much information that we can not just punch through the signal jamming," said E.V.E. "But we could use a sneaker net?"

"Sneaker net?" asked Doc.

"We will upload the data into storage devices and send them on ships to the Moon Base. The garrison there should be able to forward the data to Expeditionary Command."

"Ma'am," said Gabe. "I wholeheartedly volunteer to deliver the data to the Moon Base."

"In twelve hours, a debris field will be directly above us. It will be our best chance to sneak an alpha fighter through."

"Twelve hours, ma'am," said Colonel Satori. "We can make it work."

"There is one thing I must ask, ma'am before we go," said Gabe. "Why did the ship land here?" It could have landed on Mars, or Glorie, or even a black hole."

"I locked on to a source of hyper-spatial signals," answered E.V.E. "Historical records indicate that a team of researchers were experimenting with the transmission of hyper-spatial signals on a research station on Earth's moon at the time of my arrival."

That was interesting.


	37. Regret

The plan was coming into action.

Gabe's blue Stonewell Bellcom VFA-6 Alpha veritech fighter was being prepped for the mission.

As was a red Stonewell Bellcom VFB-9 Beta veritech fighter.

 _My_ Beta.

It seemed natural that I would fly Gabe's wing, as we had worked closely together for almost one and a half years.

Of course, we did more than work together.

The Beta was, well, mated to the Alpha. The front fitted into the rear. One of the reasons this was done was that neither craft could maker it into space on its own. But the combined thrust could send them both to Earth orbit.

But that was not the only reason.

There were two capsules, each with a data storage device containing everything extrapolated from my Invid dreams, including the detailed illustrations of the ships of the Children of the Shadow, as well as the planet-busters they had used.

"You feeling nervous?" asked Gabe, dressed in his CVR-03 armor.

"Of course I am," I replied.

I remember the detailed briefing the E.V.E. gave us. The debris field would minimize the chances of the Invid Regency intercepting us.

But minimize was not synonymous with eliminate.

"If you get into contact with the Invid," said E.V.E., contact the Moon Base and ask them to send ships to help you. If they send ships, toss the data capsules at them and keep them covered from the Invid."

Going all the way to the Moon base would give me a chance to contact my family on Planet Glorie and go home.

But many more people than just my family were relying on this information.

It could end the war

Soon, the Alpha-Beta was ready.

Colonel Satori, wearing MARPAT camouflage, approached us.

"If you decide to stay on Moon Base ALuCe," she said to Gabe, "I would understand."

"I am a commissioned officer in the United Nations Space Marines," he replied, "My superiors will decide my fate. Until they say otherwise, my place is here."

"And what of you?" Satori asked me.

"I…I don't know," I answered. "I want to make contact with the Moon Base."

Laureline gave me a hug. "Just focus on getting the message to our allies in space," she said.

"I will," I replied.

I glanced back at Itzak.

He said nothing.

We climbed into our respective cockpits. I checked the instrument panel, especially the instruments and gauges showing the Beta docked with the Alpha. There were no warning lights there.

I felt the machines being hoisted. I soon found myself lying on my back against the seat. I was face up with respect to Earth's gravity.

"You okay down there?" asked Gabe.

"Yeah."

"I'll be out Earth's atmosphere after almost one and a half years," said Gabe. "I'll only have maybe about ten centimeters of hull separating me from the vacuum of space."

We waited. We heard a countdown from Megazone Two Three control.

"Launch in T minus five minutes," said this female voice.

I looked at the instrument panel for anything that might be wrong. I wanted to deliver the data, but I also wanted something to happen that would force us to abort, force me to just leave the cockpit and go home.

The countdown continued.

"T minus sixty. Fifty-nine fifty-eight."

The numbers kept counting down.

My heart was racing. I could feel myself sweat under my armor.

Everything was still green.

"T minus five, four, three, two one."

I flipped some switches and pushed the throttle. I felt something squeeze me against the seat hard.

"We have liftoff," said Gabe.

I looked at the screens. We screamed up into the night sky. I wished we had left during the daytime, but the debris field would have already passed by then.

Even as we were accelerating fast enough to counteract the gravity of the Earth, both of us were checking our radar for any Invid craft that might be moving to intercept. We were going fast, so any Invid near the surface would not be able to catch up to us, but we still had to worry about any Invid still in orbit.

It was not just a potential dogfight with the Invid over which I was worried.

I had a difficult decision to make, but a decision that had to be made.

"Ten thousand meters and climbing," announced Gabe.

We had no contact with the surface due to the Invid jamming. I looked at the altimeter as we climbed.

"Twenty thousand meters."

We continued our climb. My heart was racing, as Invid mecha from above could come to intercept.

"What do we do when we get there?" I asked.

"We'll find out when we get there," said Gabe.

I was sweating, even though it was not all that hot inside the Beta cockpit. I had a choice to make, and whatever choice I made, I would regret it.

After what seemed to be the longest time, I heard the announcement.

"Altitude, two hundred thousand meters and climbing," said Gabe. "Prepare for Alpha-Beta separation on my mark."

I flipped some switches and made a last-second check on all gauges.

"Beta ready for separation," I said.

"Alpha ready for separation," replied Gabe. "Engage!"

I flipped the switches, and I watched as Gabe's Alpha separated from by Beta. I was all too familiar with separation sequences.

"Debris field ahead," I said.

I could see the debris of wrecked starships orbiting Earth. All of them left over from three wars. Humanity had not even finished recycling the ships from the first war when the Invid Regency invaded.

We took separate courses. We had to be on the lookout both for the debris and Regency war machines.

I was in space.

After a year and a half, I was out in space again.

I fiddled with the radio. I could hear some radio chatter.

"Wolf Recon, no activity…"

"Did you hear that?" asked Gabe.

"Yes," I replied.

I looked and saw some other signals.

There were five bogeys heading towards us.

"It could be an Invid patrol," said Gabe. "Let's hide in the debris field until they pass. We'll keep listening on any transmissions from the Moon Base."

I hid inside the remains of a U.N. Spacy _Ikazuchi_ -class carrier, probably destroyed during the ill-fated battle that resulted in Gabe crashing into a barn in Africa almost eighteen months ago. We only have to let these bogeys pass, and then we could continue to the Moon Base with the data.

I could see the bogeys on the screen. They were getting closer and closer.

They were not trying to hail us.

They were coming after us.

"Five bandits on an intercept course!" I yelled.

"I see them!" yelled Gabe. "Evasive maneuvers."

And so we moved among the debris field, using it as cover. The Invid were following us, weaving around the pieces of starships and mecha that floated here.

"This is Titan Leader to Moon Base ALuCE!" yelled Gabe. "We are under attack! We request reinforcements!"

I swiothced to guardian mode and one of the Invid mecah overflew me, an Invid fighter scout. I blasted the fighter scout, scattering mecha debris everywhere.

"That's one down," I said.

"We have to get this data to the Moon base," said Gabe.

"This is Wolf 10," said a voice. "We're coming!"

Suddenly, two more Alphas arrived, probably from the Moon Base.

"They took out two of the bandits," I said.

"Marcus!" yelled one of the pilots. "You got one on your tail!"

"I can't shake this guy!" yelled the pilot named Marcus.

I could see the chase as blips on my screen.

One of the blips disappeared.

"You don't have to worry about him," said Gabe.

"The last bandit is leaving," said the other pilot.

We were clear to get back to the Moon base.

"We can't hang around here long," said Marcus. "A larger force of fighter scouts are approaching our position. They'll be here in less than a minute."

"Catch!" yelled Gabe.

"What's this?" asked the other pilot.

"Take it to the Moon Base now!" yelled Gabe. "Important intel for Expeditionary Command!"

I looked as the two Alphas flew towards Earth's moon.

I had a decision, and less than a minute to make it.

"What are your names?" I asked the two pilots.

"Alex Romero," said one of the pilots.

"Marcus Rush," said the other pilot, his tone more serious.

I quickly introduced myself and Gabe. "Tell our families… we're all right."

I then set the Beta on a course for atmospheric entry into the Earth, as Gabe did for his Alpha.

"Everything's recorded," said Alex Romero. "We prom.."

There was static.

We continued our descent, as the heat shields did their work in keeping us from burning up due to the friction. The force of Invid Regency fighter scouts did not detect our re-entry into the atmosphere.

"Everything okay?" asked Gabe.

"The Beta is holding up," I said, as we descended further down, as the air got thicker.

I was regretting my decision.


	38. Last Dance

Our return to Earth was uneventful. Orca Squadron came to greet us, and escorted us back to the underground base under the surface of Japan.

I parked the Beta in the hangar and got out. Already, the crew was walking around. U.N. Army Colonel Nova Satori came to greet us.

"Mission as a success, ma'am," said Gabe. "Two Alphas from the Moon base received the package."

"We can't expect confirmation from the Moon Base that they received the package," said the colonel. "We can only hope."

I looked and Laureline came to greet me. Itzak and Doc stood behind her.

We hugged.

"Girl," she said. "I don't know if I should say you were very brave or very foolish."

"Both," I cried.

Ooooooooo

Gabe and I were at home, laying down in bed,.

"Regretting coming down here with me?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "But going to the Moon Base with them, I know I would have regretted that too, wondering if I should have returned to Earth with you."

"It sucks. Life has to give us these kind of decisions. But at least our families will know we are all right."

I did not see those Invid Regency fighter scouts chase after those two pilots, but there were no guarantees.

"I remember when I was little," Gabe continued. "My dad had to be away for months at a time because he was a Space Marine. My older brother and sister often had to play the father figure."

Gabe had spoken about his family on occasion in the past seventeen months.

"Your older brother was Javier, right?" I asked.

"No," he replied. "Javier is my younger brother; he turns sixteen in two months. My older brother was Antonio Gashtar; we call him Tony. My older sister is Koriya Gashtar; we call her Kori. Tony and his wife have a son, David, who should be five years old by now, and there was another baby on the way at the time I arrived on Earth. Kori and her husband had a baby girl, Sarah, just four months before I crash landed on this planet."

Now I fully remembered what he had said about his family for over the past year. "You grew up with a large family, like most of the children born to the original colonists in the Commonwealth," I said. "I only had the one older sister, Chelsea; she turns thirty next year. She and her husband Leon have a daughter, Kelly, who should be four years old now."

"I think you mentioned that."

"Now that I think about it, I wonder what they are all doing. Are any of them there to get the message that we're okay?"

"Don't say that. We have to believe that they are home, waiting for us. We have to imagine how they felt when they got the message from the UEF about us. But let's concentrate on our life here. This will be our home for a while. I hope to be attached to Orca Squadron."

"And you could be deployed inside a sub at moment's notice."

"That's the nature of the military," said Gabe. "I had to live with it when I accepted the appointment at the Academy. Even people who choose a private sector career had to accept a Reserve commission; it was the price for getting a four-year education."

"I do want to start fixing things again," I said.

And that was what I was doing.

Ooooooooo

I became a contract mechanic for the United Nations Ocean Patrol Orca Squadron, the veritech fighter squadron.

"For someone with no formal training in fixing these things, you do well," said the sergeant- no, the Ocean Patrol called them _petty officers_.

"I had to fix them in the field, instead of an enclosed hangar," I said.

"Experience is always a superior teacher," replied the petty officer, whose name was Bridget Riley.

Gabe, meanwhile, was put on what he called the second stringer team.

"I'm not surprised," he had said. "I'm a Space Marine; they're Ocean Patrol. I'm temporary-assigned duty. No wonder they keep me in an auxiliary position."

And so we went into another routine, with me doing all the basic stuff for maintaining Orca Squadron's Alpha and Beta fighters. Sometimes I swore that the petty officers were limiting me to the petty duties.

Fixing things is something I was doing since I was very little.

I guess it was better than having to be on alert all the time for an Invid Regency attack. Enough people down here had that duty as it was.

And of course, I was also an auxiliary pilot. Well, an auxiliary to the auxiliaries.

Between that, and the quality time with Gabe, Itzak, Laureline, and Doc, there were notable events.

There was the Ides of March Ball.

I guess I understood why the people down here would commemorate the anniversary of the Invid Invasion with a ball. This meant, that I had to get a dress.

I went on a shopping trip with Laureline for dresses. There was something comforting about a mission to go shopping, instead of a mission to raid the Invid Regency for protoculture. There were so many dresses of various shapes and sizes.

I got my dress, I continued my maintenance duties with the Orcas.

And then there was a ball.

It was to be held in an "outdoor" street, if outdoor meant there was nothing between your head and the ceiling of this underground city.

I got dressed at Laureline's place. I had been here a few times before- a small studio apartment.

I got dressed here. It took maybe half an bhour to get my dress on.

I had not played dress-up since Chelsea's wedding with Leon, about six years ago!

I did not want Gabe to see my dress until he was ready to take me to the ball.

And then he appeared.

I could see Gabriel Gashtar, his close cropped black hair with a purplish tint. He was wearing what he called dinner dress blues. He wore white trousers over his legs. Covering his torso was a collared white shirt with a black bowtie around the collar. His white shirt was partially covered by a red waistcoat. Over the waistcoat was a dark blue coat, with a few medals pinned on the upper left side and a silver bar on each shoulder. White gloves covered his hands.

He looked perfect.

He could see me. I was wearing this yellow dress with all these complicated patterns.

"Looking good," he said.

"I know," I answered.

"Miss, am I qualified to escort you to the ides of March Ball?"

I held the edges of his coat. "You are overqualified, Second Lieutenant Gashtar."

Our arms were linked together as he escorted me out.

Oooooo

Chairman Daryl Embry stood at the podium, wearing a tuxedo with a top hat. There was a stand holding a microphone. He was escorted by many people, all dressed for a black tie occasion. I glanced at Gabe; this was an "outdoor" area, so he wore a white, flat-topped cap with the Space marine emblem on his brim.

"Thirteen years ago, the Invid invaded Earth," he said. "Countless human lives were lost. We have been divided. They attack anyone who tries to visit another land, another continent. They jam our transmissions to other lands, let alone other planets. And yet, we commemorate this with a ball because the Invid can not dominate the human spirit!"

We all clapped.

"Let us have our first dance," said Embry.

This band clad in tuxedoes started playing. Gabe and I danced. There was so much we did together, a lot of it fun, but dancing at a formal occasion like this.

We never did this before.

"Good thing our therapy sessions paid off," said Vic Yahagi, dressed in a tuxedo, and dancing with a girl in a blue dress I figured plenty of men would find cute.

"I must thank you," said Gabe. "I think she's a better dancer you."

"I definitely chose the right man for the job, Vic," said a female voice.

I turned and saw Dr. Stacy Embry. But she was not wearing a white lab coat. Instead, she wore a white skirt, white collared blouse with a black bowtie, and a white coat. Medals were pinned to her coat, and there were three gold-colored stripes on each shoulder, one stripe half as wide as the other two stripes. The same set of stripes were at the end of her coat sleeves.

"You look great, Stacy. How are the kids?"

"With Mark and his lady and his kids," she replied. "They prefer quiet nights at home."

"Nice to see you, Dr. Embry," I replied.

"My husband, Hank," she said. I looked and saw a red-haired man wearing a tuxedo. Gabe and I introduced ourselves.

"There's Papa over there," said Dr. Embry, looking at the chairman.

I figured they were related. Not too many Embries in a city this size.

We went to where Itzak, Laureline, and Doc were standing.

"How is it?" asked Gabe.

"Very…alien," said Laureline, wearing her green dress.

"I'd rather be playing," said Itzak, dressed in a suit tailored for his size.

"It's a special occasion," I said. "Surely, your home village had weddings."

"We never dressed in such stiff clothing."

"I've had dining ins when I was in the Air Force," said Doc, wearing suit. "This is different, a different kind of formal."

"I remember my first dining in, wearing the dinner dress blues," said Gabe.

And so we did our best to enjoy ourselves. I soaked in the music, the scene.

"Looking good there, temp," I heard someone say.

I looked and saw a man I recognized as Ocean Patrol Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo, who was Orca Leader. He wore an outfit similar to Gabe's except it was white and there were a few more medals pinned to the coat. He looked as if he could fit right in with the people living at the riverside communities along the upper course of the Nile, if he wore the local fashion styles.

"How are you doing, sir?"

"Having a dance with this pretty lady here," said the commander, who was escorted by this pretty lasy in a red dress. "Although your contract mechanic here is not too bad herself."

"Why thank you," I said. .

There was this slow song. "Call On Me" We just slow danced on the closed-off street. There was like a barrier between us and the other couples.

 _Call on me_

 _Lean on me_

 _Why don't you call one me?_

It felt so magical.

After the song was over, Gabe looked at me.

"I have something to ask..," he started.

And then I felt shaking.

Was it one of those quakes that I heard occasionally struck this part of Earth?

I heard a siren blare.

"We are under attack!" yelled a female voice. "This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! All civilians take shelter."

"The whole place is supposed to be the shelter," said Itzak.

I could hear distant explosions, and see smoke coming from far away.

"I'll take Itzak to the shelter," said Doc.

"Good luck," said Itzak.

"We'd better get to our fighters," said Gabe.

And so we did. Our apartment was along the way, so we decided to go there to pick up our Cyclones. The streets were empty, and yet I could hear the battle get closer.

We made it to our apartment. We quickly eran in and put on our CVR-03 armor, not even removing his dinner dress blues nor my yellow dress. We then put on our helmets and hopped ionto our Cyclones.

"I hope I don't get pulled over for drunk driving," said Gabe.

We then saw two Invid shocktroopers. We hastily sped away. I glanced in the rear view mirror and saw the shocktroopers blast the apartment building.

"And I was tired of living indoors," I said. We raced through the streets, towards the base where our fighters were parked.

There were more Invid blocking the way. There were too many to take the direct route to the base.

Gabe transformed into armor mode and then blasted one of the Invid troopers standing in an alley. We then raced through the alley on our cycles.

The streets and alleys were like a maze. We had to make sure to take the clear or nearly clear routes. Occasionally we had to take down an Invid mecha. I could smell the sharp smoke from the fires.

"Look," he said. "We're less than a block from the base entrance."

Suddenly there were multiple explosions.

Gunfire.

The staticky smell from laser beams passing through air.

And then I was falling. I held on and switched to armor mode.

"Gabe!" I yelled.

"Here!" he yelled back.

I looked and around and we were floating in this huge chamber.

"Space combat simulator," said Gabe.

More Invid mecha came through. I Blasted one of them.

Then one of them arrived, with two missile turrets on its shoulders.

I saw the smoke trails from the missiles.

I looked at Gabe.

The missiles hit and there was an explosion.

My heart seemed to slow down.

I could see red globules.

"Gabe?" I asked.

"GAAAABE!"

I felt detached. I recalled destroying that mecha. I made it out of that gravity chamber with Gabe.

I was at an alley. I looked at him.

His head, and a large chunk of his upper body, was just…gone.

My eyes were filled with tears. I felt this rage.

I do not know exactly how, but I drove the Cyclone all the way to the base. I managed to get into my red Beta, starting up the fighter, and plunged headfirst into the thickest part of the battle.

The Invid were surprised. I managed to take out three of them. Some of the other mecha repositioned themselves.

"Thanks," said Orca Leader.

There were a few more blasts.

"I know you," said a female voice.

I looked around.

And then saw it on a monitor screen. I could see an Invid mecha, looking quote different from the others. It had the shape of a human. It was standing right around a corner.

I went in for an attack, firing a few blasts.

"To me you're a target!" I yelled.

"Call me Solzie," she said. "Sword of the Regess. Your killer."

And so we kept dancing around each other, firing our weapons, with me hoping I got my fatal shot in before she did.

I took a glancing blow. There was damage to the Beta.

Was this it?

Would I be joining Gabe in a few seconds?

Then that Invid mecha was blasted.

"Back off, lady!" yelled Commander Obegwo.

"I will have your blood on my hands," I heard Solzie say as the Invid mecha flew away.

I could tell that she was addressing me, specifically.

"Come back here, you coward!" I yelled.

"Are you all right?"

"No."

The battle was over.

I do not know how, ubut I got out of my crippled Beta.

I kept running and running and running.

And then somehow, I emerged outside. It was the lookout that overlook Tokyo Bay.

And then, I broke down.

I tore my yellow dress.

"YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" I yelled out to the Invid. "YOU TOOK AWAY MY LOVE!

"I'M RIGHT HERE! YOU WANT MY BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS? WHY DON'T YOU FINISH THE JOB? WHY DON'T YOU KILL ME!"


	39. Under the Sea

So many of us were gathered at this plaza. Chairman Daryl Embry stood, wearing his three-piece suit. Mark Landry was at his side. I noticed some senior military officers from the United Earth Forces, and perhaps the Japanese Imperial Self Defense Force and the People's Army of China. Embry made this speech in memory of those who fell in the Invid incursion into this giant bunker city under the surface of Japan.

After his speech was done, he left. I guess he and Landry had much work to do. I gathered with Itzak, Laureline, and Doc in a circlefor our own private memorial.

I was hoping Gabe would show up, to tell us reports of his death were greatly exaggerated.

But he was gone.

"Gabriel Gashtar," said Doc, sniffling. "Second Lieutenant , United Nations Space Marines. You…you were more than our leader. You were the heart and soul of the team. I…I don't know how we can go on."

"Do you have anything to say?" asked Itzak, a sad look on his face.

I did not have anything to say.

I could only cry.

Ooooo

My entire existence was like a fog.

I lay in Laureline's bed, holding the yellow dress, the dress which I wore in my last dance with Gabe, the dress I tore in grief and rage.

It felt cold.

It felt cold because he was not lying next to me to warm me up!

And he never will!

I sobbed at that thought.

Will I ever feel anything else again?

"Hi there," said Laureline. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I lost the love of my life," I answered. "Because I did!"

"There is some news," she said. "A lot of military people are moving out. The Invid know more of where this place is. They will soon blockade it. The military here decided it is best to move as many troops and supplies out into the open sea."

That kind of made sense, but I did not feel like understanding why.

"Gabe was the best," said Laureline. "We all owe him. I want to continue the fight against the Invid. I will see if I can join one of the subs."

"That's nice."

"If you choose to stay here, live a civilian life, I….I understand. We'll always be friends." She held my hand. "The time I spent traveling with you and Gabe and Itzak and Doc, I learned how to be happy, despite what happened to me in the past. I…I know you will be all right someday. You will be able to feel happy."

I felt like being happy was in the most distant galaxy, receding away faster than light.

I got up, looking around Laureline's little place. I tried to notice the things like the kitchenette and the door to the bathroom. I looked through a window. Many of the buildings in this underground city were wrecked, testifying to the battle the day before.

I broke down, crying at the memories.

I had a brief moment of lucidity.

"I want to go with you," I said. "This…this place has too many painful memories."

There was nothing else to do.

Nothing left for me here.

Nothing left for me…anywhere.

oooooooooo

I was vaguely aware about packing our things. We went to the submarine dock. I went to this submarine called the _MacBeth_. I barely noticed Itzak and Doc accompanying us.

Laureline mentioned something about loading the supply subs, and how the _MacBeth_ would protect subs from any Invid submarine forces.

I was shown to berthing area. It had some cots.

I was vaguely aware that this sub was leaving the dock and going out to the open sea.

I lay on the cot, sobbing, consumed with grief.

What could I do?

This wasn't fair!

This wasn't right!

Ooooo

I was nervous.

For too long, we have been hiding from the Robotech Masters, dreading when they would send a massive fleet to wipe us out.

 _I'm the Invid Regess again._

The meeting was in a neutral system. Still, we were prepared. An entire fleet, waiting near a pulsar, was ready to fold here to get us out in case this was a trap. External transit time was less than a minute.

"Hyperspace defold detected," said the Invid brain.

We waited. The envoy's ship appeared on a screen.

 _That looks like the SDF-1 Macross!_

"The ship had docked," said the Invid Brain.

The Regent and I went to greet the envoys. Very recently, we have made several gains in our long war against Tirol. We have not been confronted by the Zentraedi.

What had happened to them?

 _Almost all of them were wiped out, except for that remnant that joined humanity._ That _I remember from history class._

We met the three envoys. They had the general shape of Tirolians. They had aquamarine hair, the material that flows from their heads. One wore a red dress, one wore a green dress, and one wore a blue dress. The three of them looked identical.

The envoy in the red dress spoke. "Greeting, your Majesties," she said.

"The Invid Regency welcomes you," said the Regent.

"We have come alone, as you asked," said the lady in the green dress.

"What is your message?" I asked.

"The Robotech Masters lost their protoculture matrix as well as their Zentraedi warriors," said the lady in the blue dress.

"They lost a matrix?" asked the Regent. "Why is that news?"

"They only had the one matrix," said the lady in the red dress.

"Only one?" I asked. "They could not build more?"

"They chose to build only one, to have a monopoly on protoculture refinement," said the lady in the green dress.

 _That makes sense. The Masters having a monopoly on protoculture, they control Tirol and her colonies. None would dare rebel against them._

"Their entire Empire rests on a foundation of protoculture," said the lady in the red dress. "And it is all but gone."

"Surely they can simply build another matrix," I said.

"Lord Zor kept some secrets, even from the other Masters. They lack data critical to the construction of a new matrix."

I remembered Lord Zor, having met him before I rose to become the Regess. From the Flower samples he took, he was able to deduce the secrets of protoculture- an impressive feat, one which unfortunately gave rise to the Robotech Masters.

"Tirol wrecked our home world. The Flower does not grow there anymore! And you expect us to help you."

"We can not expect you to help our lords," said the lady in the red dress. "But us, we can help each other."

"I am intrigued," I said.

"We can work together, help each other as the Masters' Empire falls apart. Once we have a new matrix, a new source of protoculture, we can build a new galactic order from the ashes of the old."

Just eighteen years ago, the Robotech Masters were the galactic hyperpower. Now, they are almost out of the lifeblood that kept their empire together.

"We must deliberate with our advisors," said the Regent.

"We shall await your deliberations, your Majesties," said the lady in the red dress. "But if you do not ally with us, we will go elsewhere. We may even work with our current lords."

The envoys then left.

"Any thoughts?" asked my husband.

"Only the obvious," I said. "They have their own agenda."

"So do we, my dear. So do we."

 _No! I don't want to wake up!_

"There's nothing for me!"

I looked around, saw I was in a berthing area in the _MacBeth_.

I immediately sobbed.

Reality had nothing but sadness.

I so desperately wanted to relive the Regess's memories.

I barely ate.

I barely noticed my surroundings.

I wondered why this had to happen to Gabe.

I wondered why this had to happen to me.

There were so many ways that battle could have went differently.

What if we had decided to go all the way to the Moon Base?

Gabe would have been killed in battle with the Invid forces in space.

What if we settled down to civilian life in India or Egypt or Lake Kyoga?

Maybe Gabe would have been killed in a mugging.

Maybe he would have been hit by a bus as he was crossing the street.

Maybe he would have slipped and fell and split his skull open on the sidewalk.

Was Gabe really supposed to die?

Why did I have to meet him in the first place?

Why did I have to fall in love with him, only for him to be cruelly taken away from me?

I sobbed again. For how long, I don't know.

When will this end?

Would I have to end it all?

I kept going through the motions of life. Life was nothing more than pain and misery.

What was the point?

What was the point of fixing things if they only get broken again?

There was only one way out.

One final exit.

I might be able to obtain a handgun.

Or a sharp tool.

Or maybe I could go out the airlock with some weights, and be crushed by the pressures underneath two klicks of water.

But what about Itzak?

Laureline?

Doc?

Have they not suffered enough?

They would break if I ended it all.

But must I suffer, must I be crushed by this pain, just to spare them pain?

What if I lose them too?

What would be the point then?

Maybe I could end their suffering…

No! I have no right to do so! I can't think about that. That was not the woman Gabe loved.

Why?

Why do I have to feel this way?

I kept putting it off. I was so confused.

I was wishing the Invid would destroy this sub to end it all.

To end my suffering.

I could not imagine feeling any other way.

I felt more detached from reality. It was like Itzak, Laureline, and Doc were not really there.

Itzak spoke to me one day.

"I think this is broken," he said, holding a handheld video game console.

I looked into his eyes, which showed sadness. Something was drawing me to him, to get me to facer the here and now.

"Let me take a look," I said. I flipped the power switch, ejected and reinserted the cartridge.

No luk.

I found a power outlet and plugged in the recharger.

No luck.

"I need to find an electrical workshop," I said. I went to a phone, looked up a directory, and dialed a number.

Soon I managed to find myself at one of the workshops inside the _MacBeth_. There was some electrical equipment.

I opened the case to reveal the motherboard, with its chips and stuff. It took a while for me to identify a problem.

A burnt-out resistor.

Despite the robotechnology used to build this device, the reason for its failure was a broken piece of technology invented in the early 20th century.

I looked at the color codes for the resistor. There were some drawers; one of them was labeled "Resistors". I found one that matched the pattern of colors on the burnt-out resistor. Using a soldering iron, I managed to put in the new resistor.

I turned on the machine.

It worked. I heard the ping, and then the title screen of a game with which I was not familiar.

"Are you done?" asked an Ocean Patrol petty officer in blue overalls.

"I think so," I replied. "Thank you."

I went back to the berthing area. Itzak was still there.

I handed him the device. He started playing.

I looked at the expression on his face.

I felt something strange.

I was happy.

It felt so alien to me.

Maybe I will feel this way again.


	40. Fly Like a Bird

I was out of tears.

I lost track of time every time I sobbed in grief.

But that was not the entirety of my life.

There were moments when the sadness was put away.

Like when I was fixing the veritech fighters for the Ocean Patrol's Orca Squadron. I memorized the schematics from almost a year's experience in fixing these transformable war machines. There was something to keep me focused.

At least I was able to be focused, unlike maybe a few weeks ago.

"Hello there," said a voice.

I looked and recognized Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo, the squadron leader, wearing his flight suit.

"The tune-ups should be on schedule, sir," I said.

"I was just taking a break from my paperwork," said the commander. "I swear, I spend more time behind a desk than in a simulator cockpit, let alone an Alpha cockpit. Anyway, I heard about your Space Marine, Lieutenant Gashtar. I'm..sorry."

Memories surfaced. I blinked, and a tear flowed down my cheek. "Should I thank you?"

"I have read about this sort of loss, how people in the past dealt with it," said Obegwo. "Some soldiers back then coped by pretending not to know the deceased. They would never bring him up in conversation. They would deny knowing the fallen."

"And you talk about Gabe because he really wasn't one of you?"

"That is beside the point. Even if he were one of us, we would not deny him. If we pretend those who fell never existed, that is a victory for the Invid.

"They may kill us, destroy our homes, sink our ships, cut us off from each other and the rest of the galaxy, but we will not let them erase our memory. As long as we remember.

"Too many people I know have fallen, some before my very eyes. To pretend they never existed, to erase them from memory, that I will not do. That is a victory the Invid will never have."

"Thank you," I said.

"Your friend is a decent pilot."

I recalled that Laureline was one of the backup pilots for this squadron.

"I have paperwork to do," said Orca Leader, walking away from the hangar.

Oooooooo

I took in more of my surroundings, in between my bouts of sobbing in secluded corners. I learned that this sub was called the Super Submersible Fortress _MacBeth,_ and it was about eight hundred meters in length and about two hundred meters wide, and as tall as a fifty story building. Captain Zack Bauer was in command of the ship; Bauer had been in the Ocean Patrol since before I was born. Its home port had been that underground base in Japan, at least until the Invid Regency blockaded Tokyo Bay. This ship already escorted supply subs that left Japan and delivered supplies to resistance groups in places like Vietnam and Mindanao and Borneo. I became familiar with the layout of the ship, such as the berthing area, the mess halls, the sick bay.

And I was familiar with Main Street, a dining and shopping and entertainment area, like a scaled-down version of Macross City aboard the SDF-1. There was alcohol here, unlike the mess halls. Itzak would often play in the video arcade or the sports center. I was slowly warming up to the pilots and crew of Orca Squadron.

"Fine tale you all have," said Petty Officer Second Class Bridget Riley, as we sat around a bar and grill. There were steel tables and chairs- not of that fancy start.

"How have you adjusted to this place?" asked Laureline.

"It is a wee bit more sterile than da underground," replied Riley, sipping a beer. "There's less variety of food and drink." But I'm in de Ocean Patrol, so that was de trade off I made. I was ordered aboard ship an' here I am." She then touched my arm. "Sorry about yer man."

"He should be here, sitting with us," I said.

"Yes, he should," said Laureline. "My parents and brother should be here, too."

"It's good for me to be here," I said. I looked around. The people, almost all of them sailors, were enjoying themselves, drinking beer and eating the appetizers. They seemed happy. "Sometimes being around people helps."

I ate an onion ring. I remembered that I barely out for a few weeks after Gabe died. I recently looked at myself in a full-length mirror and I must have lost fifteen kilos.

"So many of us lost friends to the Invid," said Riley. She then stood up.

I looked and saw a black-haired man in his thirties dressed in service khakis. I recognized him as Chief Petty Officer Manuel Tabing, the equivalent of a Space Marine master sergeant, and chief of Orca Squadron.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Fine, Chief," replied Riley.

"Enjoy yourself, because there will be much work to do. Even our mercenaries will be busy."

Ooooooooo

There was another milestone.

The Stonewell Bellcom VFB-9 Beta veritech fighter was fixed, and I was to take it out for a test run. It had not been on a flight since that…that battle in Japan. I spent hours making that plane flightworthy.

"Okay," said Commander Obegwo during the briefing. "do some basic maneuvers. Stay below three thousand meters."

Flying too high would just attract the Regency's attention. We were in the middle of the Indian Ocean, hundreds of klicks from any land mass. Radar did not show any bogeys within a hundred klicks.

There could be an undersea Invid patrol, but there was no use worrying about that.

"This is Orca Twelve," I said, sitting in the cockpit, fully suited up. "Readty for takeoff."

"Take off," said the auir boss.

And so I went up, through the opening above the _MacBeth's_ flight deck.

I was in the air.

"Orca Twelve, are you okay?" asked a female voice.

"Everything looks fine, Orca Two," I replied.

Orca Two was the XO, Ocean Patrol First Lieutenant Peyton Flagg, a lady about my age. I had met her a couple of times, and she was watching over me for this exercise.

"I'm doing this for Gabe," I said. I then flew around then sky, laughing, with nothing but the blue waters fo the Indian Ocean below. I tested the fighter, guardian, and battloid modes, making all sorts of maneuvers.

The Beta was fully armed, of course, as was Orca Two's Alpha. The ship should be able to detect an Invid air patrol within a hundred klicks, but we were prepared in case the Regency got the drop on us.

I spent so much time flying around, making figures.

"Okay, Orca Team, that's enough," said the air combat controller.

"Copy," replied Lieutenant Flagg. "We'll let the techies go over the black box."

And we returned to the flight deck of the _MacBeth_. It used an automated system. I did know that Alphas and Betas were better able to land vertically than the first gen veritechs my dad flew in the First War. Soon we were on the deck, and I stepped out.

"How was the flight?" asked Laureline.

"I could have used some wine and cashews to go along with it," I said. I glanced and the technicians in blue overalls under Chief Tabing's supervision were downloading flight data from the Beta's flight recorder.

I went to sleep that night in the auxiliary berthing area. I did not cry myself to sleep.

Come to think of it, I did not break down sobbing for the rest of the day ever since testing the Beta.

Oooooooooooo

Life settled into a routine, now with me training in the Beta simulators in addition to fixing the aircraft. Laureline and I rarely flew the occasional combat air patrol, though not as often as the regular pilots.

There was one time where the squadron deployed. Commander Obegwo led the main force out, while Laureline and I wanted in the rear with some junior pilot whose name was Sal Molino. We were wary, in case Orca Leader called for help, or the Invid decided to attack the _MacBeth_.

It was uneventful. The Orca's main force came back, mission successful. As the commander told us, they defeated a squad of Invid that were pinning down a group of Bullfrogs in southern Africa. Air transports from another sub, the _Poseidon_ , retrieved them.

"Bullfrogs," said Doc as I had breakfast with him and the others the next morning. "The Ocean Patrol's own commandos. There was a friendly rivalry between them and the Army Special Forces."

"Why are they called Bullfrogs?" asked Itzak, eating a strip of bacon made from vat-grown pig tissue.

"Frogs are amphibians," I answered, after swallowing a piece of scrambled egg. "The Ocean Patrol calls its amphibious infantry Frogs. The sub has a company of Frogs to repel an invasion. Bullfrogs are the Special Forces that go behind enemy lines to conduct recon and sabotage."

"That sounds cool. They must have tough training."

"I've had training similar to that," said Doc.

I remembered that we were close to Africa. That was the continent where I first landed, where I met Gabe, where I spent half a year.

Amazing that I was so close to where I started.

Oooooooooooo

Has it been two months since then?

Since Gabe died.

I was sobbing in the corneR, crying. I felt the same as when I did that before. I barely noticed that I did not do this all the time.

"Orca Squadron to hangar deck for immediate scramble," said a voice. "I repeat, Orca Squadron to hangar deck."

I stood up, took a deep breath, and put my grief away.

I went to the hangar area and put on my flight suit and CVR-03 armor. I quickly got into my Beta.

"I just got this thing a fresh coat of paint," said Petty Officer Riley.

I gave her a thumbs up. I checked the instruments.

Everything was a go.

"Orca Twelve, you are clear," said the air boss.

And then I took off from the flight deck. I soon joined the squadron, the Alphas and Betas in formation.

"Orcas, we have a distress call," said Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo. "Coordinates forty degrees, forty minutes north, seventy-three degrees, fifty-nine minutes west. Stay in formation, and move out!"

And we did.

"This is for you, Gabe," I said softly.


	41. Battle on the Brooklyn Bridge

I glanced at the instrument panel as the VFB-9 Beta veritech fighter's autopilot system took me to the coordinates.

My heart was beating rapidly, and I was sweating.

We were all listening for any further updates on this distress call.

This could be a false alarm. Whoever is under attack could have driven back the Invid. We would return to the sub and have a laugh about meeting our quota for a live veritech exercise. This would not be the first time that happened, from what Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo and the others have mentioned.

I looked ahead and noticed a coastline in the far distance. There were lights. We were getting there as fast as we could, at nearly three times the speed of sound. We were nearly thirty klicks high.

"This is Orca Leader," said Obegwo. "I'm magnifying visuals. No doubt about it. That place is under attack. Master Arm on."

"Watch your scopes," said First Lieutenant Peyton Flagg, the XO.

I was all but certain that we were steeling our nerves.

"I detect ten bogeys approaching," said an Orca pilot.

Ten bogeys. I doubted they were friendlies, but still, we had to hold our fire until we could get positive identification.

"This is Orca Leader, identify yourself," said the commander.

"They fired missiles!" yelled Flagg.

"We have ten bandits," yelled Orca Leader. "Evasive maneuvers!"

And so we did, flying around randomly to fool these missiles. At this range, it was not too hard a job to dodge missiles.

But we knew that their secondary purpose was to force us to break formation.

"Engage!" yelled Commander Obegwo.

And so we did, flying about to get a lock on an Invid mecha, whil avoiding becoming a target.

"I can't shake this one!" yelled Laureline.

I took a deep breath.

I could see my target.

I opened fire as I closed in.

The Invid fighter scout was transformed into a fireball.

"More reinforcements coming!" yelled a pilot.

And so we had to do that dodge and fire thing again.

In the midst of the fighting, I saw something.

This purple Invid machine somehow shifted, unfolding its arms and legs.

"That thing transformed?" asked a pilot.

"An enemy veritech?" asked another one of us.

"Careful, this guy's….ahhhhh!"

"Orca Five's down! I repeat, Orca Five's down!"

There was a second of grief.

I had to concentrate on the battle ahead.

"Do you like my new toy?" asked a feminine voice. "I call it the Invid….Overlord."

"Don't let that bitch get a target lock!" yelled Obegwo.

He did not need to tell us.

"Watch out, Orca Eleven!" I yelled to Laureline.

"It's you," said the voice.

She was familiar.

I knew who she was.

"You're Solzie!" I yelled.

"Perhaps I shall tear you limb from limb with my new toy! Cover me! This human is mine to kill!"

Solzie then gunned after me, in her Invid Overlord. I kept dodging and weaving to avoid her fire. I glanced at my radar screen and her wingmen were keeping the rest of the squadron busy.

If I could lead this dangerous war machine away from Laureline, Orca Leader, and the rest of the squadron, it would be worth it.

I continued my pattern of dodging and weaving. The Overlord kept firing at me.

My heart was racing.

I was sweating even more.

I wondered if I would dehydrate to death before she could blow me up.

I took a glancing blow. I briefly thanked the Lord Jesus that I was still in one piece.

I was losing altitude.

The damage to the Beta was done.

Bridget was going to busy when I got back.

The damage meant I could not maneuver as well.

If she got a target lock, I would meet Gabe less than a second later.

I hoped to meet Gabe again, but not now.

My role in this physical realm was not finished!

Solzie was not going to finish it for me.

I spiraled down, to the city below. It was on an island with tall skyscrapers.

I switched to battloid mode and landed on the ground. I looked around. There was smoke and fire.

I caught the attention of some more Invid mecha.

Using the buildings as cover, I hid and fired at them. I took down at least one of them.

I looked and noticed Solzie in her Invid Overlord, hovering made a fifty meters above the street. Her war machine looked like it was in guardian mode, as it had this hunched-over appearance.

"So you want to play hide and seek," she said.

I did not answer you.

"You humans are tribal," she said. "Perhaps if I make target practice out of them."

She started blasting the nearby buildings.

"Come out come out, wherever you are!"

I had to take cover. I needed a clear shot so I could take down Solzie for good.

"I have this young human in my sights," she said.

I looked around the corner, and the Overlord was in battloid mode, with the shape of a human, and it was pointing her weapon at a little girl. She was dressed in suspenders and a blouse; she did not look like she had reached her tenth birthday.

"Let her go," I said. "You want to kill me, fine. We will have our duel. One of us will stand, one will be in the ground. Leave that girl out of this."

"Okay," she replied.

She then stomped the foot of her Overlord on that little girl.

I immediately charged her in melee, pounding her with the fists of my Beta.

That girl.

I had to avenge her!

I kept striking the Overlord with my fists.

Solzie then kicked me back and took to the air in guardian mode.

And then we started out fight again, using these buildings as cover.

We kept blasting at each other as we rose to the air.

It went out for maybe a minute or two, but it felt like an entire history.

Then I was exposed in the open.

She was about to blast me.

She then charged at me.

I felt that I was knocked back.

I looked at the monitor screens.

I could see that I was on the deck of some suspensions bridge. It went across this river.

We kept striking each other.

For a countless time we were in a melee on the bridge, trading pinches, grappling each other. It was as if the bridge, and us, were the only things in the Universe.

"Stop it!" I heard someone yell.

That was Laureline!

Solzie then grabbed me. I struggled, but could not break her grasp.

"You two will back off," said Solzie. "Or she dies."

"Let her go," said Commander Obegwo.

She was dragging me away.

"If you fire at me, you might hit her," Solzie teased.

"I'm expendable!" I yelled to Laureline and Obegwo.

"We leave no one behind," replied Orca Leader.

"Never forget, never abandon," said Laureline.

It looked hopeless.

There was but one thing to do.

I got out of my Beta, running towards the two Alpha battloids.

"What?' asked Solzie, clearly surprised.

I was surprised myself.

She threw my Beta at the two Alphas.

"I will feast on your rotting corpse!" I heard Solzie yell over the speaker of the mecha she called an Invid Overlord. "I swear!"

Her Overlord transformed into fighter mode, and fled into the night sky.

I got back into my Beta, making contact with Laureline and Orca Leader.

"There's an Invid Hive in that city," said Obegwo. "We can take it down."

I switched my Beta to guardian mode and went up. The mecha was not at its best, but if I could play a role in destroying that Hive, I wanted it.

"We're all ready, sir," said Lieutenant Flagg.

"Okay, Orcas, get in formation," said the commander. "Our target is that Invid Hive."

And then it exploded.

"Who attacked before our commander gave the signal?" asked Orca Two.

"I see some bogeys emerging from what's left of the Hive," said a pilot.

I was nervous.

Were they Invid bandits, going after us to avenge the destruction of their Hive?

"Identify yourself," said Obegwo.

My finger was on the trigger, prepared for another round of dogfighting.

I saw a man's image appear on my comm screen. He was wearing a flight helmet.

"Lieutenant Commander Scott Bernard," he said. "Survivor of the 21st Mars Division."

Mars Division? Bernard fought in that same battle as Gabe?

And crash landed on Earth?

"Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo," said Orca Leader. "CO of Orca Squadron, deployed aboard the Submarine Fortress _MacBeth_. We came to help."

"We are grateful. We had enough trouble as it was."

"Orca Team, we had better go down there to assess the damage, make contact with the local defenders," said Commander Obegwo.

Oooooo

It was dawn. I was down in this city, called New York City. I remembered it was one of the great cities of the past, like Shanghai or Tokyo or Moscow. I could see the battle damage from the recent Invid attack. Rubble littered the streets.

I was in this open area surrounded by skyscrapers. Street signs attached to lampposts indicated streets like 47th Street and 7th Avenue. There were all sorts of businesses.

I looked and saw a big metal pole in the middle of this open area. A flag was being raised.

I looked and saw the flag had red and white stripes, with a blue corner.

A crowd gathered, many of them armed. They sang this unfamiliar song, but I can hear the pride in their voice. It was as if they were singing for victory, as well as the memory of those lost. I tried to memorize some lyrics.

 _At the Twilight's Last Gleaming_

… _._

 _Bombs Bursting in Air_

… _.._

 _Gave Proof to the Night_

 _That Our Flag Was Still There_

And the crowd finished.

 _Land of the Free_

 _And the Home of the Braaaaave_


	42. On the Offense

Things settled into a routine for a while after Orca Squadron returned to the sub. The talk of course was that battle over New York City, and the veritech war machine that the Invid Regency has.

Among the worries that Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo and Captain Zack Bauer surely had was how many of those veritechs- Solzie called it an overlord- did the Regency have?

Bauer did not issue any orders for Orca Squadron to keep quiet about the battle or the new Invid veritech. I guess the captain judged that the officers and crew needed to know exactly what was at stake, and what we were facing.

Of course, there was a memorial service for Orca Five- Second Lieutenant Kip Hawking, also known as Hawk.

"We will fly our veritechs," said Commander Obegwo, dressed in his dress whites like everyone in the squadron not on call for rapid deployment. "We will eat, drink, and be merry. We will start families. Our lives will go on. But one thing we will not do is forget Kip Hawking. Orca Five and Second Lieutenant, that was what he did. A friend, someone who would give all for us, that was what he _was_.

"There will be time to grieve for Hawk later. We have work to do."

And so we did. The Ocean patrol members went to the locker rooms to change into more durable clothing for their duties.

Oooooo

Just a day and a half later, something happened of significance. Laureline, Itzak, Doc, and I went out, up through some stairs, and onto a balcony. Already, many sailors were up here.

The _MacBeth_ had surfaced. Immediately surrounding the sub was greenish water. I looked and saw land all around, from which skyscrapers rose. I could see bridges in the distance. This city was huge, much larger than Primopolis in the Commonwealth, or Alexandria in Egypt for that matter.

I looked around, and saw a giant statue standing on top of a building on an island, carrying a torch and holding something in its hand. Many people on the balcony were already taking pictures.

"I've only seen that statue at picture books in the library," said Itzak.

Oooooooooo

Our arrival in New York had certainly gotten a lot of the sailors' spirits up. A lot of sailors were reading about the city in their spare time. Almost all of them were on their best behavior; the chances of getting shore leave to visit the city are nil if they are confined to the brig for misconduct.

Still, even with imagining shore leave in the city, it did not diminish the importance or priority of our work. I had to work on fixing my VFB-9 Beta veritech fighter, which was pretty banged up from my one-on-one duel with Solzie.

Soon enough, though, Captain Bauer's staff announced shore leave for the crew.

They were excited. They had been in this sub for two months, ever since leaving Japan.

"We get to see a new place again ," I said to Itzak. "Isn't that exciting?"

"I remember when we kept seeing new places over and over again," he replied. "We crossed two continents in a little over a year, mostly on bikes."

"That we did. How about we go play some video games? There should be a shorter wait as some of the sailors are going ashore."

And we did not have to wait as long to play video games in the rec room, maybe only half an hour.

But soon enough, we got a chance to take shore leave.

"Maybe they have more video games up there," said Itzak.

Oooooooooo

Being eight hundred meters long, the _MacBeth_ was too large to fit inside any of New York City's docks for us to step down gangway. Itzak, Laureline, Doc, and I went up and boarded a tender hover boat. I looked around and felt a slight breeze as the boat coasted maybe half a meter above the New York Bay, as the bulletin called this place. I could see the tall buildings. I looked towards the island called Manhattan, and I could see many of the buildings were damaged from the Invid attack.

I read about New York City. Apparently, it was spread over several islands, and had these administrative districts- Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. There were neighborhoods like Central Park West, Greenwich Village, Harlem, Bayside, Forest Hills, Bedford-Stuyvesant.

The ship was to arrive at this place called Pier 45. We were approaching on the west side of Manhattan. Across this river, the Hudson River, from Manhattan was this land called New Jersey, which also had some skyscrapers by the riverbank.

We arrived at Pier 45. Some of the sailors all but ran off onto the pier.

"I can understand if they are a wee bit eager to get onto dry land," said Petty Officer Second Class Bridget Riley. Like many of the sailors, she was dressed in a white stereotypical sailors outfit with the sailor's cap and the black tie.

I walked off and stepped on the pier, standing in the city on my own two feet since that battle. I really did not have the time to take in the sights. Many of the local officials came to greet us, including some uniformed police.

"A double decker bus," said Doc. I looked and saw a double decker bus parked in the distance.

"Have you been to New York?" asked Laureline.

"No. I never had time to book a flight and hotel room. But I guess better late than never."

"I'm lucky I'm not da captain or da master chief," said Riley. "They can't play here."

We boarded the bus, going on the top deck. Itzak was definitely smiling. He had not had this type of your before. Memories of a tour of Primopolis on a similar bus surfaced to my mind. Among us was an Ocean Patrol master-at-arms.

"Make sure you are on your best behavior," he said. "We don't want an incident with our hosts."

"These people are grateful," said Itzak. "You did fly there with the Orcas and defend them from the Invid."

"Yes," I said. "Not all of us could be here though."

I briefly thought of Hawk. I only met him personally once or twice, but the squadron's regulars were very familiar with him.

The bus moved along the streets of Manhattan. Three cops riding on motorcycles escorted us. I looked around at the buildings, noting the battle damage. I noted there were military vehicles and soldiers in full gear bearing rifles; according to the pre-disembarkation briefing, they were called the National Guard, just like the Commonwealth's own army.

"I wonder what this place was like before the Invid invaded," said Itzak.

We stopped at this open plaza in between skyscrapers. It took a second for me to realize this was where that flag was raised and the people sang this song. I could still see the flag, with its red and white stripes and blue cover, fluttering in the wind from atop the flagpole.

"Welcome to Times Square," said the driver. "We will be getting off to stretch our legs."

And so we did. I made sure to look at the sights. There were plenty of civilians here already, just days after that battle here.

There was this building with a huge video screen.

The image of the E.V.E. avatar appeared. She appeared to be dressed in some sort of military uniform. There were images of tanks and fighter jets.

 _The time has finally come –_

 _We can shape our destiny._

 _Together we will have the strength to be._

 _We share a common bond_

 _With all Humanity._

 _We can't wait for tomorrow._

 _The future is now!_

 _There's no better time_

 _To get in line._

Plenty of people, including almost all of the sailors in our tour group, were listening. Itzak was dancing.

So the people of New York have contact with the E.V.E.

I briefly wondered about the people we left behind in Japan- the Karen refugees, Dr. Stacy Embry, Nurse Vic Yahagi, Colonel Nova Satori, that Chinese couple who owned that Chinese restaurant. I had not contacted any of them since Gabe died.

And I wondered how many people across the world learned about the attack. Certainly many in Alexandria, and the leadership of New Masada, knew by now. There were probably resistance groups whose only communication to the outside world were through data cables connected to their underground bunkers. They too, must have read about this attack.

After the E.V.E. song was finished, another image appeared on the big screen. It was an image of a girl, perhaps about eight years old.

Catarina Estevez, Never Forget, a caption wrote

"She must have been one of the people who was killed in that attack," said Laureline.

I had heard thousands were killed in that Invid rampage. Many of the people who looked at the screen had a sad look on their face.

In any event, it was time for us to get going. We got back on the bus, seeing more sights of New York. A frequent sight were cleanup crews clearing rubble from the streets.

We arrived at this huge park, which the driver called Central Park. It was this huge area with grass and trees. There were people with food carts selling their merchandise. Not that we could buy anything; we did not have the local currency. A man wearing a sweat suit passed by us, glancing at the sailors in their white uniforms.

After a few minutes, we went back on the bus. After navigating city streets, we came across our destination for refreshments. It was this dive bar and grill. Just outside the entrance, the flag hang. The most obvious feature were peanut shells littering the floor. Itzak picked one of them up. I noticed pool tables and a mounted jukebox.

Fortunately, the City authorities provided coupons for us.

"I'm glad the City is paying our tab," said Petty Officer Riley.

And we sat at the bar. I ordered drinks, and there was a selection of food such as chicken tenders and mozzarella sticks and fried shrimp and corned beef sandwiches and shepherd's pie.

I ordered fish and chips with malt vinegar and tartar sauce to go with my beer. Itzak had some mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce. He definitely enjoyed it.

"Too bad the sub can't hire the chef here," he said.

In the midst of eating and drinking, I looked around. Four sailors- two men and two women, were playing at one of the pool tables. I looked at some pictures hanging on the wall. It showed two identical skyscrapers, standing next to each other. One of them had a huge fire, with smoke coming out.

 **Sept. 11, 2001 Never Forget**

There was another picture of that little girl, Catarina Estevez, to the left of the picture with the burning skyscraper. The caption included "Never Forget".

"So sad what happened," said this waitress wearing a black apron.

"So many died that day," I said.

"I saw the video."

"What video?" I asked.

"There was a video of that Invid machine crushing her on the street."

Catarina was that girl!

That video must have come from my Beta's camera feed.

"I wonder how many people saw the video," I said.

"Millions across the world."

I went back to the bar. We talked some more with each other and the bartenders. I heard that this lady singer named Yellow Dancer actually rallied the citizenry to stand up and fight back during that massacre. I might have seen her among the crowd that sang that "Home of the Brave" song in Times Square.

"I was there," said a bartender, a man in his late twenties. "Her song inspired us to fight back with everything, from guns to rocks to glass bottles. The next day, we reactivated our National Guard. Old Glory will fly every day in Times Square from now on."

Soon it was time to leave, and Laureline and Riley and I and the female sailors took turns using the ladies' room. Then we got back on the bus. I looked around the cityscape as the bus made its way back to the pier. I looked across the Hudson towards New Jersey, and then took one more look at the skyscrapers.

There was one more stop on our tour, but it was a place the bus could not take us.

We all boarded the hover boat. After a few minutes, it left and I looked as the island of Manhattan receded away. I could see the _MacBeth_ , floating in New York Bay. Birds made noises as they flew overhead.

We were going to the statue.

It was not long before we reached the dock. I could see the giant statue of the robed woman, holding a torch and some plaque in her hand.

A Tour guide, a girl maybe a year or so younger than me, wearing a white blouse, black trousers, and a black bowtie, greeted us.

"Welcome," said the tour guide. "This is the Statue Liberty Enlightening the World, first dedicated on October 28, 1886."

We took maybe two minutes to gaze at the statue. We then went inside, and there was a historical exhibit with all sorts of pictures, including some really old black-and-white photographs. A caption below a photograph of the head at a World's Fair in Paris in 1878. Paris was identified as a city in the homeland of the French, the inventors of French onion soup, the French dip sandwich, and the metric system, but I knew little else of Paris or the French homeland.

Itzak was amazed at all this, but Laureline and Doc also showed an expression of wonder, as did many of the sailors.

But then it was time to leave. We boarded the hover boat, and in a few minutes we reached the _MacBeth_ , getting off the boat and stepping into the sub.

It was exhausting, so we all went to the auxiliary berthing area. There would be much work for Laureline, Doc, and me.

"I didn't mention this, but two months ago I had another dream," I said.

"About being the Regess?" asked Itzak.

"Yes. I, well, she and the Regent, they met with the Robotech Masters."

"It must have been before the Masters turned against them," said Doc.

"No, it was after the First Robotech War. The Masters had already lost the Matrix maybe twenty years before, the Zentraedi were all but wiped out, and they were running out of protoculture."

"Peace talks?" asked Laureline. "I've heard about how the Invid invaded Tirol."

"The three Masters who were there had their own agenda. They said that there to make a secret deal with the Regency."

"Surely the Regent and Regess would not trust them," said Itzak.

"Of course not," I said. "At least not at first. The dream ended after those three ladies left. There must be something important about it. I have been given a history lesson on the Invid ever since I was exposed to those spores last year. The destruction of the original homeworld, the first contact with the Masters, the rise of the current Regent and Regess. And now meeting with those three Masters."

"Not even the Invid fully understand the nature of the Flower of Life," said Itzak.

My body was tired and I was soon asleep.

I did not have dreams of an Invid life.

Oooooooooo

There were a few more shore leave visits by the crew, but the sub could not stick around New York Bay forever. Even though the routine maintenance and sim training, I did hear news about what was going on outside the sub's three meter thick hull.

There was contact between Earth and the Expeditionary Command Headquarters on the moon Tirol. What from we were told, the Expeditionary Fleet was still engaging the Regency's forces in space alongside the Sentinels allies. U.N. Spacy Admiral Rick Hunter now had command of the whole of the Expeditionary Forces. There was no doubt more not told to the rank-and-file crew.

"He's an old veteran," First Lieutenant Peyton Flagg had said. "He flew in Skull Squadron during the First War, becoming Skull Leader."

"I wonder if my dad met him," I said, remembering that my dad flew in Skull Squadron back then.

But another piece of exciting news arrived, even more exciting that speaking with Expeditionary Headquarters.

The Invid Hive in Haiphong fell.

Haiphong was a major port city in Vietnam. I briefly thought of that Vietnamese freedom fighter, Colonel Van Nguyen. I wondered if he was still alive. It had been almost half a year since I last spoke to him.

The video of that girl, Catarina Estevez, being crushed by Solzie, was shared all across the world. Anyone on Earth with access to the Internet saw it. While not diminishing the deaths of those civilians killed in Manhattan, the sheer cruelty of what the Invid did to that child was a rallying cry.

And we answered that cry.

The whole Orca Squadron launched from the _MacBeth_ to provide support for an offensive against an Invid stronghold at this place called West Point, about eighty klicks north of New York City.

We kept the attention of the Invid airborne mecha as the ground forces of New York's National Guard pummeled the place with artillery. We managed to also repel a wave of reinforcements sent by the Regency.

I was glad our friend Solzie did not join the fighting. But if she had, I would have gunned for her to avenge Catarina!

Then the fighting was over. We took West Point. The National Guard troops raised the red-and-white striped flag.

"After thirteen years, Old Glory flies above West Point once again," said one of the soldiers.

After staying on the ground for a while, we took off for the sub, letting our National Guard allies hold West Point.

Ooooooooooo

For about a week or so after the Resistance victory at West Point, morale was high among the officers and crew. Even sailors who had to do extra dirty work due to disciplinary infractions did so with a smile.

Then there was another break from the routine.

The whole squadron was gathered in the briefing room, including as mercenaries, as we were called now. I saw several people in the service khakis, with officers and chiefs wore. One of them was Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo, our leader. Another man, with blond hair with bits of gray in it, was Captain Zack Bauer. A third man had dark hair and amber-complected skin. A star on his khaki collar identified him as a commodore. A nametag on this khaki shirt read "SHANG".

"Captain on deck!" yelled the commander. "Commodore on deck!"

"Commodore Shang will brief the squadron," said Captain Bauer.

"Very well, Captain," said Commodore Shang. "No doubt many of you heard about our recent offensives against the Invid. Allied Command has decided to relocate units. Due to their new directive, our sea fleet has decided to relocate Orca Squadron ashore. Make sure to depart by 0500 tomorrow morning. That is all."

"Yes, sir!" we all yelled.

"Okay, Orca Squadron, cancel any plans you have," said Obegwo. "We have important work to do."

And so we did.

We were busy packing our things, from little toiletries to our support vehicles. There was so little time for breaks. Our morale was keeping us energized as much as the coffee was.

Finally it was time for all of us to go. Orca Leader went first, of course.

Soon, it was time for me to get into my red VFB-9 Beta fighter. It was docked with Gabe's VFA-6 Alpjha fighter. I sat in the Beta cockpit; The alpha and Beta were designed so that they could be operated from either cockpit if docked.

"Orca Twelve, you are clear for takeoff," said the air boss.

I heard a noise.

"What was that?" I asked.

I turned around and saw Itzak in the back.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm with you guys," he said. "I can't abandon you now."

This was foolish. The boy should stay in the sub where he can be safe.

And yet…

"Orca Twelve, any problems?" asked the air boss.

"Nothing right now," I said. "am I still clear?"

"Yes, you are clear."

"Orca Twelve, taking off."

I pushed the throttle, and the Alpha and beta rose into the sky above the Atlantic Ocean.


	43. In the Blood

"They had better food at the sub," said Itzak.

"You did want to come here with us," said Doc.

"Yeah, I did. There are things I miss about the sub though."

He was right. The food we were eating inside this Quonset hut was simply vegetable stew. We ate it alongside freshly baked bread. I could still recall the greater variety of foods in the sub like tacos and sandwiches and salads and ground beef- not to mention the alcohol available in the SSF-1 _MacBeth's_ Main Street. Not to mention easily finding power outlets with which to recharge our electronics. I was tempted to stay on the sub myself.

Still, I was a privateer. We raid the enemy.

This site called West Point now had a couple thousand soldiers garrisoned here. Quonset huts and tents were set up. The ruins of the Invid Regency fortification were utilized , enclosing the command offices ,the main supply warehouse, and the field hospital. Flying on a flagpole was the red-and-white striped flag called Old Glory; the local soldiers- they called themselves _Americans_ \- made sure to raise every dawn, and lower it every dusk. Most of the Americans were infantry. There were some VHT-1 Spartas hovertanks and GR-001 Garland combat cycles; all with US ARMY and the American flag stenciled on them.

We have had occasional conversations with some of the Americans.

"West Point used to be the site of a military academy," said one of them, a lady with blond hair. "Maybe after we chase the Invid away from this area, West Point can become a military academy again."

My duties were basically the same as they were in the sub- maintenance of the veritechs and a reserve pilot, under the supervision of Chief Petty Officer Manuel Tabing. While combat flying was eventful and exciting, most of my value to this unit was due to my maintenance skills.

Frequently, Ocean Patrol air transports would deliver supplies. Their Earth Sea Fleet had many factory subs, manufacturing things ranging from soap to medicines to ammunition to hand weaponry to mecha.

I was walking along with Itzak. He suddenly stopped.

"That lady," he said.

I saw a lady in a distance, wearing a yellow jacket. She had somewhat reddish hair.

"What about her?" I asked.

"There's something…strange about her. I could feel it."

I took another glance as the lady walked. She seemed pretty normal.

"Well, I guess we can steer clear of her for now," I said.

Oooooooo

More and more equipment and supplies were delivered over the next few weeks; I had heard at least half of the supplies came from factories in New York, though some came from factories hidden under the mountains to the west. I heard some of those underground factories were built in the mid-20th century, during this period of history called the Cold War, not that I would be able to explain to anyone what that Cold War had been all about. Permanent buildings were being constructed, with cement mixers laying foundations. It was clear that West Point was going to be a permanent American military base again.

Most important were the anti-air defenses. The Invid would have to send a lot of troopers to take back Wesat Point, but they could certainly launch air strikes, especially from the regions of the mountains to the west that they still control.

Many of the servicemen- both the United Earth Forces and the American military- were seeking leave, especially as New York City was only an hour's train ride. There was entertainment on the base, such as basketball courts, pool tables, and the like, but it was nice to go to civilian society.

And that was what we did.

Itzak, Laureline, doc and I took a trip to New York City. We went on this train ride from this town near West Point called Highland Falls. There were plenty of civilians on the train. I made sure to read the transit brochure. I looked and saw the countryside. There were farms, many of them which grew the Flower of Life. The Regency had basically occupied the Hudson Valley all the way down to New York Bay. Now they have been driven out with these renewed offensives.

It took about an hour to reach this station called Grand Central Station. Itzak and Laureline were definitely looking around at this huge cavernous station. There were the typical things like train schedules and maps mounted on walls. There were also several kiosks and shops and restaurants.

It took us a while to find the platform for the P Train. It led to this District called Queens. We paid our fare and boarded. The train here was smaller, and many of the passengers- mostly locals- stood. The train made several stops, and I heard announcements for stations like 2nd/59th, Roosevelt Island, Mets Willets-Point.

And then we heard our stop.

Nova Complex.

We stepped off onto the platform. It was a pretty busy platform. Posters advertising various shops were mounted on the wall.

We all rode an escalator to the top. The main concourse of this place was revealed to us.

"Welcome to the Nova Complex," I said. "It was built from a Zentraedi scout ship that crashed here over thirty years ago, after that last battle with the Zentraedi fleet. My dad once visited this place shortly after it opened. He even showed me pictures."

"It's like a wonder of the world," said Laureline.

Indeed it was. I could see the main, ten-story concourse. There were shops all along the balconies. Bridges connected the walkways on the opposite sides. There were so many transparent elevators and escalators.

"It's so big," said Itzak.

"The Zentraedi were giants, about ten meters tall," I said. "This was one of their small ships."

"it must be such a hassle to walk all the way from one end to another," said Doc.

"Maybe that helped," said Laureline.

There was this sign mounted on two poles. The caption read To Side-A-Vator®™. There were three down-pointing areas at the bottom of the sign.

"I want to check out the Side-A-Vator®™," said Itzak.

And so we did. We went down the escalators. There was a sign showing the way to the two elevators in front, and the Side-A-Vator®™ to the right.

The Side-A-Vator ®™ looked like an elevator, with its double metal doors. But the buttons, pointed to the left and right instead of up and down. The left arrow above the doors lit, and the doors opened.

We went inside, along with some other people. I could see a map.

"So this Side-A-Vator®™ is like an elevator that moves sideways," said Itzak.

We rode the Side-A-Vator ®™, and it took us to another section of the Nova Complex. We continued our exploration of this huge place.

"This will be a tourist attraction again," said Doc.

We reached this place called GFD. It was this huge arcade and bar and grill. I once recalled seeing a similar place like this in Tiresia, on the moon Tirol. Anyway, the hostess, a dark-haired young lady maybe a little younger than me, seated us at the table. Food was standard bar and grill fare like pizzas and Frencnh fries and hot dogs and burgers and sandwiches and salads. I decided to have a French dip sandwich with a Caesar salad. I definitely enjoyed the food, better than what was had at West Point.

Of course, I had to use the spending money I was provided. I played against Itzak inside one of the motorcycle racing games that the place had.

"I wonder how this place survived under Invid occupation," said Laureline.

"Electricity is cheap," replied Doc. "Still, there could be a day when the factories used to build war machines will instead be used to make consumer goods, when we will make ploughshares instead of swords."

"No one is making swords," said Itzak.

"I would like to see more ploughshares made instead of swords," said Laureline. "But we must still make _some_ swords, or else we will plough for others who have swords."

There was one more place in this complex that we had to visit. We took the Side-A-Vator®™ again, and walked through some corrdciors.

We were at the rtenth floor outside balcony. The green hull of the Zentraedi scout ship was visible to our left and right. Below us were buildings that had been constructed along the side of the repurposed spaceship. The balcony itself had tables and chairs; there was a full bar as well as food service serving various types of snacks. I looked outward and can see the expanse of the district the people in this city called Queens.

It was all a good time, but then we eventually made our way back to the subway station, towards Grand Central, Highland Falls, and then West Point.

Ooooooo

Life settled into another routine again, doing maintenance work, drilling in the sims, making do with the few entertainment options we had here. This routine was sometimes broken by sending fighters to assist to defend against an air raid against the other bases.

We did hear occasional news. For example, we heard that the Hive at Suez had fallen.

Suez was a strategic point. It was between Africa and Asia, between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. From what we heard, it was a joint effort between the Ocean Patrol, warships from the Greek islands, and land forces from Israel.

I briefly thought of Sergeant Major Rebekah Avital and the few days we spent with her, over a year ago. She had arranged transport on that boat from Egypt. An Invid attack killed the captain and first mate and the boat washed ashore on the coast of Israel. We helped her go all the way to this bunker next to this lake called the Dead Sea, and from there we continued our trek all the way to Vietnam.

I wondered if Avital was still alive.

Did she participate in that battle?

In any event, beer was brought when where all of the troops here not on watch or guard duty participated. An American colonel led the toast.

"To our cousins in the Med," he said. "Congratulations on their victory. Let's drink up."

We raised our glasses- well, plastic cups really- and drank up. Almost all of us cheered.

Victories were always great to celebrate, but we knew the war was not over.

"These buffalo wings taste like chicken," said Itzak, eating some buffalo wings.

"They are chicken," I replied.

"Is buffalo a breed of chicken?"

Ooooooooo

It was a few days after that there was another break from the routine. Another air transport landed on a landing pad on the outskirts of the base. It was night, and I happened to be working the graveyard shift. Some men in short-sleeve camouflage shirts and camouflage trousers walked out, and the local American military police greeted them.

I recognized one of the men from his nametag, his rank insignia, and his steel left hand.

That was Brigadier General Jack Emerson!

"I know you," I said. "I spoke to you about those dreams about the Invid, back when I was in that underground city in Japan."

"Ah, now I remember," replied the general. "Expeditionary Command did confirm receipt of those drawings that Nova- Colonel Satori- sent them. Risky mission, it was. I hope it was worth it. If you will excuse me, I need to meet with the American commanders here."

I watch as the general and his aides walked towards one of the Quonset huts.

I could not bring myself to tell him what happened to Gabe.

I went back to do some more maintenance on Doc's Strike Garland, especially making sure that the hoverbanks were in top condition.

Oooooo

The next morning, news of the visiting general spread around West Point. Something big must have happened, even bigger than the fall of the Suez Hive.

"Speculatin' is easy," said Petty Officer Second Class Bridget Riley. "It's findin' the truth that is a wee bit difficult."

It was after dinner that we all had to gather. General Emerson was going to address us.

"Good day to you all," said the general, speaking at a podium. "I have come with good news."

"More free beer," said a soldier.

"Maybe a brothel on base," said another.

"The Invid forces out beyond the Sol system were all but wiped out," said Emerson.

There was a pause among all of us. The Regency defeated out there?

"And the Invid Regent is dead," continued General Emerson. "A moment in silence for those of our space allies that fell."

We bowed our heads. Many of them who fought for the Expeditionary Forces and their Sentinels allies were people like me, Itzak, Laureline, and Doc.

People like Gabe.

"Except for a few scattered deep space outposts, the Invid military might is here, on Earth, under the command of the Invid Regess."

Almost all of us were excited. The Invid Regency had always been able to send reinforcements to Earth. In fact, that was how they defeated the fleet in a battle over Earth six years ago. But now, there would be no more reinforcements for them from deep space, and Expeditionary Command should be able to reinforce us.

"This does not mean the battle ahead will be easy. Not surprisingly, the Invid have been fortifying the area surrounding Reflex Point, relocating troops from orbit and from other parts of the world. We will not be able to attack Reflex Point without the Expeditionary Fleet in orbit to support us.

"But we still can launch air and artillery strikes against the outlying fortifications. We can ambush any transports the Invid send to and from Reflex Point.

"We will be setting up firebases to attack the outlying fortifications and ambush Invid transports and patrols. They will cover each other as well as West Point, which will be the main supply base for this region. We need to keep the Regency in check."

"And I was just getting used to West Point," said Itzak.

Ooooooo

The whole squadron had the afternoon off. This was fitting because it seemed that the 4th of July was a holiday for the Americans. From what I heard, it was similar to Colonization Day for the Glorie Commonwealth.

I was at a rec room located inside one of the Quonset huts. There was a bar and a pool table. A jukebox played music. I had been here a couple of times before.

Many of us from the squadron were here. Itzak was playing pool. I could hear the crack of the balls.

"This wee lad be an expert pool player," said Petty Officer Riley. "Maybe he can make a career out of this after da war is over."

And then the game was over.

"Nice shot, kid," said this young red-haired man, who could not have been much younger than I was.

"Thanks," replied Itzak.

"Wow," he's cute," said a high-pitched female voice. "I wonder if he's available."

"Annie, do you have to bring that up?" replied the red-haired pool player.

I saw that the high-pitched female voice came from this little red-haired girl wearing a ballcap on her head. with the letters "ET" on it.

"Or maybe the bartender over there is available."

"You're lucky you never ended up meeting a pedophile."

"What's a pedophile?" asked Itzak.

"Someone really bad," I answered. "who likes to hurt little kids."

"Like the Purifiers? Or that Invid that crushed that little girl?"

"Uh, maybe we can play some video games."

ooooooooooo

That night, there was a concert to celebrate the holiday called Independence Day. The Americans were on this stage, all wearing their short-slleve camouflage shuirts with the American flag patch on their left shoulders.

This singer, Yellow Dancer, was going to sing. And there she was on, stage, with her purple hair and yellow dress. She sang this song with this somewhat deep voice.

 _Another winter day_

 _Another grey reminder_

 _That what used to be_

 _Has gone away_

She continued to sing. The phrase, "The sky is falling" was repeated.

After she was done, the crowd cheered. She then sang another song. It was this slower song. The phrase "Lonely Soldier Boy" was repeated.

I then heard something in my earpiece.

"Orcas, we have bandits penetrating the safe zone," I heard Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo say. "Move out."

I was wearing my CVR-03 armor, just for this occasion. I glanced back at Yellow Dancer as she sang her song.

I went to my red VFB-09 Beta veritech fighter even as some of the Orcas took off. I flipped the swtiches and soon I was airborne, flying into the night sky.

"this is Orca Twelve in the air," I said.

"And I was hoping to watch that Yellow Dancer," said Laureline.

"Bandits are still twenty klicks away," said Orca Leader.

"They are still approaching," said First Lieutenant Peyton Flagg, who was Orca Two.

Here I was again.

"Ten bandits at twelve o'clock!" yelled Obegwo. "Engage!"

And so we did. Most of the enemy mecha here were Invid scouts. I managed to take one down.

"Got that one," said Lieutenant Sal Molino.

"This one seems to have a liking for me," said Orca Leader.

"I got you covered, Orca Leader," said Orca Two. I saw one of the blips on my screen blink out.

"Thanks, Flagg."

"That must be their boss," said one of the pilots.

I had the boss on my visuals. His mecha was more humanoid-looking, like the mecha Solzie piloted during that battle in Japan four months ago.

"I'll take the leader out," said Obegwo. "Cover me."

"Careful, Yusuf," said Orca Two.

And so we did our air dance with the Regency mecha. Laser pulses and missiles flew around.

"Can't shake this guy," said Orca leader. "I'm hit!"

"I'm on my way!" I yelled. I flew in to where they were. They were still flying around each other. I noticed smoke coming from Commander Obegwo's Alpha.

In his condition, he was not going to make it.

"Orca Leader, fly low," a voice said. "We might be able to nail him with our cannons."

"Copy, base," replied Obegwo.

He flew close, towards West Point. He was leading that bandit.

I tried to get the bandit on my sights, but he was moving too erratically.

And then I saw a flash.

"Thanks," said Commander Obegwo.

I looked down and sww one of the anti-mecha cannons along the perimeter of West Point.

Obegwo landed his damaged Alpha.

"Everyone all right?" I asked.

"The remaining bandits have bugged out," said Lieutenant Flagg.

"The base defenses shot down their leader," said Obegwo. "Return to the base and join the Americans in their celebration."

I landed my Beta in guardian mode and stepped out. I could see headlights; some American soldiers were probably on tyheir way here. Above us, fireworks were being launched into the air, creating displays of color and booming sounds.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

"Yes," replied the commander.

I looked towards the fallen Invid mecha. I saw a shape right by it.

"Something's there!" I yelled.

Commander Obegwo and I ran towards the ruined mecha.

I saw a man lying down. His hair was red and he wore some sort of strange flight suit.

"Was he working for the Invid?" I asked.

"He looks hurt," said Obegwo.

Some soldiers arrived, as did doc, who was on his Garland.

We looked at the wounded man. He coughed up something.

He coughed up green fluid.

"It looks like blood," I said. "It's green."

"Just like that fluid in the Invid mecha," said one of the soldiers.


	44. Big Sister Instinct

"You understand that none of you can say a word about this to anyone," said Brigadier General Jack Emerson.

"Yes, sir," said Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo.

We were all inside the command tent, meeting with the senior military officers stationed at West Point, both UEF and American.

"We will inform Allied Command of this development," said the general. "Expeditionary Command must be told; perhaps they can shed some light on this. As for our recently departed enemy, the _MacBeth_ should have sufficient examination facilities. His body will be transported there right away."

There were so many implications.

Is the Regency so desperate to avoid defeat they were capturing humans and forcing them to pilot their mecha?

Or are the Invid disguising themselves as humans? They could be inserting spies into society, or perhaps even the headquarters of major military commands.

This most recent discovery may be a secret now, but this sort of thing will not be a secret for very long.

All I could do is to go sleep on my cot.

Oooooo

The next day, after having a hearty breakfast of fried eggs and bacon, there was an announcement for Orca Squadron. Commander Obegwo addressed us, wearing his service khakis.

"As many of you have heard, the Anti-Invid Resistance Allied Command has been making preparations to move strike forces closer to the Invid-controlled zone around Reflex Point," said the commander. "I hope that you made the best of your stay at West Point, because we are being redeployed to an advance airfield. Our fighters, our support vehicles, our equipment, our supplies, and us, are moving out today. We have work to do, team."

"Yes, sir!" we all said.

"It's amazin'," said Petty Officer Second Class Bridget Riley. "I remember when I was on da _MacBeth_. I was wishin' that I can set foot on dry land. Now I can't wait to go back under da sea again."

"I've been to so many places," I said. "Amazing that one planet can have so many places."

And so we spent many hours packing up things, making inventory notes, the tedious work that, while not as exciting for movie purposes as dogfighting with the Invid Regency, was essential for the squadron to function.

Itzak stood, gazing at his surroundings, taking in both the permanent buildings, the Quonset huts, and the tents.

"So we move on again," he said.

"Yes."

"Remember when we found that shady canyon in the desert, right after we got our planes? We were there two weeks. Good thing we found the next water source or we would have hunted all the animals there to extinction. You know, I kind of miss hunting."

Our gear was moved with these planes called C-130 Hercules, while the pilots flew the Alphas and Betas.

It was only an hour's flight time to reach our forward base. It did not seem so far, except I remembered that it could take six hours by road vehicle- if there were good roads with no obstructions.

Much of the work had already been done, setting up Quonset huts to serve as quarters, mess halls, hangars, and a tactical operations center. There were some fortifications and turrets here, not as solid as the fortifications were in West Point, but at least it will slow down the Invid. There were troops here, all wearing armor dating back from the Second War.

I got out of my veritech.

"You been here?" I asked Commander Obegwo.

"Yes," he replied. "I've had to fly in to help with the preliminary surveys. I am impressed with this U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It did help that this was an abandoned airport. Excuse me, I will be spending most of the day attending meetings."

The American soldiers supporting Orca Squadron did their best, as did the officer commanding them, a young dark-haired lady about my age. While the commander could not technically court-martial her, a poor performance review to her superiors would all but guarantee that she would be spending the rest of her career babysitting soldiers scrubbing toilets at West Point.

We all did our part, unpacking our things, taking inventory again. Chief Petty Officer Manuel Tabing did his best to keep the sailors on the job.

After that, it was time for me to check on all the planes. I carefully inspected the mechanisms, all of the gears and belts, and made notes as to what to repair.

"How is my plane?" asked Laureline, walking into the makeshift hangar.

"Too much wear and tear," I said. "I have to ground it until I can finish repairs tomorrow."

"I guess if the Invid attack, I can just ride my Cyclone."

Supper was vegetable stew with rice, which was practically a staple here. At least we had pepper to go along with it. After that, I was sleeping on a cot inside a Quonset hut.

Oooooooo

Our primary purpose at being deployed here was to be able to launch strikes against the Invid Regency. Our secondary purpose was to serve as a base with which to conduct aerial recon. Our tertiary purpose is to cover the other forward airfields and firebases in case they come under Invid attack.

For days, all we did was the routine- maintenance work, listening for any distress calls, finding entertainment in between work details, with fewer options than available at West Point or in the _MacBeth_ for the former and as just as many options for the latter.

It was not too long for the routine to be broken.

For we had news of reinforcements from space.

United Earth Forces reinforcements.

Orca Squadron had the privilege of escorting some Horizont class dropships on its approach to Earth.

The air field at West Point, to be precise.

"Ironic, isn't it," said Second Lieutenant Sal Molino.

"Yes," replied Lieutenant Flagg. "But don't suddenly get engine trouble and land in West Point- or New York."

"Yeah, I made sure to check all of the systems on every plane," I said.

We made contact with the Horizont dropship. From what I heard, they were carrying Space Marines and their supplies.

Was it going to be over?

Or was this for the long haul, more years of slowly encircling the Invid as defenses on Earth were shored up?

"We are on our final approach," said the Space Marine pilot flying the lead Horizon-T. "Thanks for the escort."

"You are welcome," replied Orca Leader.

Going back to our forward airfield was uneventful. But there was a renewed sense of hope. The American troops supporting us shared that same sense of hope.

"Maybe we could advance all the way to the shore of Lake Erie," said one of the Americans.

I had to look at a tactical map. Lake Erie was one of a group of lakes in this region.

In the northwest was this lake labeled Lake Superior, and the center of Reflex Point was maybe forty klicks north of the north shore, with Reflex Point extending for hundreds of klicks around.

Oooooooo

Of course, the Invid Regency was not going to just wait around for us to attack.

An alarm blared. There was a large group of Regency mecha heading in our direction.

Already, I knew a call for reinforcements was made. The guns in this airbase should be able to hold them off with support from our own fighters.

I got into my Beta, transforming into battloid mode.

"There should be reinforcements on their way in twenty minutes," said Commander Obegwo.

We could all be dead in twenty minutes.

Some of the mecha landed on the ground. We did our best to keep getting shot by them while either firing on them or getting them in range of our big guns. An invid shocktrooper was almost on top of me, only to be blasted apart by one of our defense turrets. The Americans, with Garlands and Cyclones,

"Thanks," I said.

"We could use some help up here," said Orca Two.

"The mercenary is on her way," I said, flying up in fighter mode into the sky. Soon I was engaging the fighter scouts. There were two on my six. I switched to guardian, they flew past me, and I blasted them both to mecha scrap.

"Wait,:" I heard Doc say over the radio. "The Invid have us cornered."

"We have to help them," I said.

"Right with you," said Laureline.

"Go!" yelled Flagg.

"I have you covered," said Lieutenant Molino.

We flew down.

"I see them," said Laureline. She transformed into guardian mode and blasted two of the Invid.

I looked and saw Doc, inside his GR-002 Strike Garland in its battloid mode. Standing next to him was Itzak, with his Suzuki bike which the squadron had packed when it left the _MacBeth_.

Did he sneak aboard just for his bike?

"There's more on their way," I said, looking at the shapes coming towards us.

"Orcas, we need help down here," said Laureline.

"We're too busy with the ones up here," said Commander Obegwo.

We only had to fight.

We began our dance with these new Invid reinforcements. I managed to take one down. Laureline took down another.

"Looks like you can use some assistance," I heard.

"Who's that?" asked Laureline.

I saw some Cyclone veritech cycles race in. The Invid mecha fired at them. One of them transformed into armor mode and shot him down.

"Good shot, Master Chief," said that voice.

They moved around, trying to take down the Invid mecha. Another one fell.

Then another.

Then one of them was straight in the sights of an Invid shocktrooper.

I opened fire and blasted the shocktrooper.

Thanks," said the Cyclone rider.

"Everything okay up there, Orca Leader," said laureline.

"They air units have bugged out," he replied. "let's return to base and assess the damage."

I looked at my screen and saw itzak lying face down.

I got out and jumped down. I ran to the boy.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

"I feel like I was knocked down face first," he replied.

"I must tend to your wounds," said Doc, approaching us, having gotten off his Garland.

He inspected Itzak's right arm. There was something green on his right arm. Doc took out a gauze from his medical pack to clean it.

More green came out.

It took a few seconds for me to process what this meant.

"He's Invid," said a voice.

That was the same voice of the leader of these Cyclone riders that came to our aid.

I looked at him. He was a bespectacled man. His helmet was off, revealing green hair.

And he was holding a carbine.

"Stand back," he said.

He was pointing that carbine at Itzak!

I got in front of his weapon. "No, don't!" I yelled.

"Are you taking the side of the enemy?" asked Greenhair.

"Itzak's not an enemy! He's just a boy!"

"An Invid. I know they can look like us now, but they do not bleed like us. So stand back and let me rid the world of this vermin."

I placed my forehead against the barrel of the carbine.

I did not feel nervous.

I did not feel scared.

I was calm.

"If you want to shoot him, you will have to shoot through me," I said, slowly and clearly.

"Okay," said Grerenhair. "I will."

"He is my little brother!" yelled Laureline. "If I fail to protect him, I will avenge him, no matter what."

"Commander, please, put the carbine down," said this man, whose voice revealed experience.

"Not now, Master Chief," replied Commander Greenhair. "That's an Invid. Are you aware of how many we lost to the Invid?"

"And this justifies killing a child, sir? The way that Invid killed Catarina Estevez?"

"It's not like that!"

"Commander," said the Master Chief, his voice calm. "Steve. I know the pain the Invid caused me, caused us. I know the pain the Invid caused you. Because of them, you were stranded on Earth. Your parents and big sister do not know you are still alive. To be separated from your family for thirteen years, to grow into manhood without them, all because of the Invid.

"I know you swore to resist them, and you have. But this…this is not resisting. The Invid may have kept you apart from your parents and your big sister, but they can not make you pull the trigger.

"I will not stop you, sir. But neither will I help you. I respect you as a leader, because you would give all. But this is not an act worthy of a man I am willing to follow. If I can not respect you, I will walk away."

There was silence. I was calm.

I would accept whatever happened, if it meant protecting Itzak.

"Stand down, everyone!" yelled Greenhair. "That's an order!"

He put down the carbine.

"There's an Invid coming," said Itzak. "Coming for me. I can sense it."

Greenhair's team readied their weapons.

"No!" yelled Itzak. "it's just one, coming in peace."

Doc went to his Garland. "Orca Team is saying that there is one Invid scout, broadcasting a request for A truce. They want to pick up someone."

And then one lone, pink Invid scout showed up. It carried some sort of container.

"Hold your fire," said Commander Greenhair, looking at his men.

"This unit is sent here in peace," said this feminine voice that seems to resonate. "I am the Invid Regess, speaking through this unit. I have sent this unit to collect our simulagent, which we made into the form of a human."

"You can't," I protested.

"I need to find out," said Itzak.

"What do you mean?" asked Laureline.

He looked at all of us. "How many more years must this war go on?" he asked. "Ten? Twenty? I can't let this be a forever war!"

"What are you doing?" asked Greenhair.

"I was spawned as an Invid," said Itzak. "I was adopted by a human, became his son. I am the only being in this whole Universe that could bridge the gap between human and Invid. I have to go talk to the Regess, get her to at least start peace talks with the humans."

"Do you want to do this?" I asked.

"No," said Itzak. "But my father taught me that the right thing to do isn't always what I want to do."

"I…I'll always be there for you. I promise."

Itzak looked at the scout. "My name is Itzak Mlama," he said. "I was born as an Invid. I was shaped into the form of a human. The human, Ebrahim Mlama, found me all alone, took me into his household, and made me his son, and made himself my father. The human, Ebrahim Mlama, fed me, protected me, and loved me. The human, Ebrahim Mlama, trained me to be good. The human, Ebrahim Mlama, was always there for me. Now I want to go with you, to meet you in Reflex Point."

He entered the container and the Invid scout flew off.

There was nothing I could do.


	45. Putting The Pieces in Place

"So then the boy went with the Invid," said Brigadier General Jack Emerson, his face appearing on the screen.

"Yes," I replied, inside one of the Quonset huts, sitting on a chair facing the screen.. "He said he wanted to ask the Regess to start peace talks."

"The war continues. Anyway, do you even know if that was the real Itzak Mlama? In the confusion the real Itzak could have been captured and replaced by a simulagent."

"We've traveled with him for over one and a half years. After the revelation, he still knew everything, including his father's name."

"How did you meet him?"

"Well, after I crashed here during a botched raid by the Golden Eagle, I looked for help. I encountered a village somewhere in the Seregeti region of Africa. This man, Ebrahim Mlama, was a militiaman. He spoke English as he was a veteran of the U.N. Army. He invited me to his home and that was where I met Itzak. He said he found Itzak in the ruins of a village destroyed during a war six years ago. Wait, now it would be seven years ago."

"Is it possible to contact the man claiming to be Itzak's father?"

"No. The Serengeti region was engulfed in war. Itzak and I managed to escape the village before it was overrun by the enemy. A human enemy, I might add."

"I can not say this is the first time someone believed to be human for years has been revealed as an Invid," said the general. "I must go now. I'll send a report to Allied Command."

Emerson's image disappeared, and the screen went blue.

I went back to the sleeping quarters inside one of the Quonsets.

"I still can't believe he's gone," said Laureline, sitting on her cot.

"I can't believe he went with the Invid," I said.

"He could not remain a boy forever," said Doc. "He is becoming a man- an Invid man- but a man nevertheless. He must shape his own identity. He is starting to have to make decisions that affect the course of his life and those around him, just as we did."

"He wanted to end the war," said Laureline. "Four over seven years he believed he was orphaned because of war. He was orphaned again when the Purifiers attacked his home."

I did not say anything.

There were no guarantees that the Regess would request peace talks.

There was no guarantee that the U.N. nor anyone in the Anti-Invid Alliance on Earth nor the Sentinels Alliance in space would consider a request, given the recent major victories over the Invid Regency. I could understand if they would view a request for peace talks as a delaying action.

If they could take out Reflex Point today, they would.

Doc broke the silence. "What if the Invid makes him fight against us?" he asked.

Would she do that? I had a sense of who the Regess was, as I had some of her memories thanks tio the Flower of Life.

"It would be tragic," I said.

"Any thoughts?"

"Itzak Mlama was of Invid blood, but he is one of us," said Doc.

"His father must have known Itzak wasn't human," I said. "Six years of raising him. And yet he shared his home with this alien boy. He adopted him."

I stood up. "I only knew Ebrahim Mlama for a day. And yet, I now know that he was probably the most heroic human in history. Not for his battles against the Robotech Masters when he was in the Army, but in taking in a child he believed lost his whole family."

"I cannae help but hear what ye were all sayin'," said Petty Officer Second Class Bridget Riley. "He was a fine lad."

"Thanks," I replied.

Ooooo

Outwardly, we were doing the same things, staying alert, maintenance, policing the area, playing sports or games during our off time. We had heard that Expeditionary Command was deploying more and more Space Marines to the surface.

It was clear that the Anti-Invid Alliance, and the Sentinels alliance, were pushing for a total defeat of the Invid and unconditional surrender.

They would not listen to appeals of peace talks from the Regess, not with their history with the Regency and their clear advantage.

I have heard of this game, chess. It never interested me that much, though Mimi sometimes liked to play. I was familiar with the terms, though; they were pretty much common knowledge for a game relatively few people play.

And I knew that the Alliance was setting up pieces for a checkmate.

It was the time for the piece called Orca Squadron to be moved.

"Our squadron will be relocating here, in Richland Center, a little over three hundred thirty klicks from the center of Reflex Point," said Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo, with First Lieutenant Peyton Flagg at his side." There are a great number of troops gathering from many different resistance groups across the world. Preliminary fortifications have already been set up. This will be the main staging area for the campaign against Reflex Point."

I looked where the commander pointed at the map. It was south of Lake Superior and the Invid Reflex Point Complex.

"You heard our commander," said Flagg. "let's pack up and move out."

And so we did.

Ooooooooo

Later that day, I landed my Beta at an airport in this place called Richland Center. Already I could see that things were going up. Many Quonset huts and tents were set up, and many more were being set up. It looked like there was almost as many people here as there were at West Point. Almost all of them were in uniform, and I could tell they were from various nations due to the flag patches they wore. I could see fixed anti-aircraft gun emplacements, concrete domes which had rapid-fire pulse lasers. Soldiers atop high towers were on the lookout for an air raid- or a larger force meant to take the base.

Of course, we had to unpack, and everyone made sure to do so. Even Obegwo got his hands dirty. Morale was high.

I knew that this would not have been possible a year ago. A concentration of human troops, this close to Reflex Point, would have been massacred then.

Now, they were leaving us alone.

I could only ponder military strategy. Would the Regency try to draw our troops in, hoping to wear our forces down before they reached the outer perimeter of Reflex Point? Would we try to draw the defenders out, goading them to advancing and thinning their numbers?

Those were the things generals and admirals and colonel and captains worried about.

I then had my break, so I looked around the camp that sprung from this old airport. I could see various types of combat and support aircraft. At least two Horizont dropships were parked on the tarmac.

Near one of the Quonsets, I saw a familiar face. A woman with creases in her face and streaks of gray in her hair, she was wearing a short-sleeve camouflage shirt. On her right shoulder was a flag patch consisting of a two bars on the top and bottom and a six-pointed star in the center.

"You..you're Rebekah Avital," I said. I reintroduced you.

"Good to see you are alive," she said.

"Same to you."

"What has been going on?" she asked.

"Long story. We traveled on land all the way across to Vietnam, got on a boat to this underground base in Japan, spent two months in a sub, then was deployed on this continent."

"I am a _command_ sergeant major now," said Rebekah. "That means half of the time is behind a desk in New Masada. I was at the Battle of Suez. My unit was pinned down by the Invid until some veritechs came to our rescue. After Suez fell, it was the most joyous celebration. "

"And the Egyptians?"

"After Suez fell, they drew a line in the sand and told us not to step over it, nothing more. No doubt many of the Egyptians saw what happened to that girl. Half of the Egyptian Militia would have considered regicide if the Pharaoh ordered them to fight for the Invid. Anyway, enough about that. Where is your boyfriend? Gabriel, wasn't it?"

"He fell in battle with the Invid," I answered. "Four months ago."

"I'm sorry."

Rebekah then said something to someone else, and I turned and saw her speaking to a dark-haired man with an olive complexion.

I had to search my memories for him.

"You're that tutor for the prince," I said to him.

"Prince Hadid," said the man whose name I remembered as Tariq. "Yes, I was. You were that resistance cell that passed through Egypt. What I am doing here, well, I volunteered. Many of my people volunteered after hearing about what happened in New York. His Majesty the Pharaoh has more important things to worry about than stopping his subjects from leaving to fight the Invid- like the color of the drapes for his throne room"

"Tariq has been of great help to us," said Command Sergeant Major Avital.

"We come here at great risk. Aside from the obvious risk of being killed, none of us Egyptians here are taking the Pharaoh's pound, so we would not get veterans' disability benefits if any of us were crippled."

"Good to see you."

I wondered who else I would run into.

I saw Laureline talking to this dark-haired man with a close cropped beard, wearing short-sleeve camouflage.

"And who is this?" I asked.

"You helped save my life, back at the Raj's palace," said the young man. "Remember when I fell over the side."

"Yeah, we were trying to escape to continue the fight against the Invid." I recalled the incident months ago when Doc's old war buddy wanted to confine us in his kingdom to maintain neutrality." Did the Raj send you?"

"No, His Grace maintains neutrality," he replied. "I am on vacation. I wanted to see America. If his subjects want to travel the world, my Lord Raj has no problem with that."

"So many people here," said Laureline. "And there is this sense of hope."

I looked to my right and some people were working in this huge, boxy cannon, panels opened exposing wires and stuff. Their flag patches indicated that they were in the service of the United Nations itself.

"What is this?" asked Laureline.

"This is the Synchro Cannon," said one of the men, whose service tag and chevrons identified him as a gunnery sergeant in the United Nations Space Marines. "It works on subatomic fusion. It can punch a hole through Invid mecha, or even disrupt Invid force fields."

"Must have a big bang," I said.

"Yup," said the gunny. "And I heard the Spacy installed these things on their warships. I heard this cannon is based on long lost tech from this ancient civilization called the Shadow. A whole fleet of ships, armed with Synchro Cannons, we'd be invincible."

"No doubt about it," said Laureline, looking cannon.

"Good to see you two here," I heard.

I looked and saw Colonel Van Nguyen of the Vietnamese Liberation Force, wearing short-sleeve camouflage.

"Nice to see you," I said.

"There were times when I thought I would die at the Battle of Haiphong," replied the colonel.

I took a few deep breaths. "Gabriel Gashtar fell in battle with the Invid," I said.

"Oh," replied Nguyen. "I'm…sorry. What are you going to do?"

"I will survive the battle, and then go to his family home to tell them the news."

"You would be the best person for that. But in case…"

"We'll all make sure his family is notified of his sacrifice," said Laureline.

I looked past the perimeter. Beyond the trees, rising above the horizon from over three hundred thirty klicks north, was the center of Reflex Point.

Was Itzak there?

Can he convince the Regess to seek peace talks?

Whose side will he choose?

Ooooooo

The base at Richland Center was bustling. There was not too much time to fool around, or worry. Troops kept moving around, including the Space Marines who arrived from off Earth. Supplies were flown in by air transport or drive in by truck.

There was one event that broke the hustling, bustling routine.

Doc, Laureline, and I were meeting with Commander Obegwo and Lieutenant Flagg and this American military officer who was a major.

"I was one of the few who successfully passed Special Forces Combat Medic training," said Doc. "We have contact with Tirol now, you can verify this with Air Force Headquarters."

"I see," replied the commander.

"Sir, I should be out at one of the firebases. We all know we are not just going to exchange stares with the Invid. If they choose to attack, or we take battle to Reflex Point, I must be there, so I can save the wounded."

"Aboudi, we have a hospital here. You can treat wounded here."

"And if I am out there, I can increase the chances of the wounded making it to the hospital alive."

"Your opinion," Obegwo said to the American.

"We could use a combat medic, especially one with a Strike Garland," replied the major.

"I shall approve your transfer," said Commander Obegwo.

"Understood, sir," replied Doc.

He, Laureline, and I left the Quonset hut were we had that meeting.

"I would love nothing more than to stay by your sides," Doc said to us. "Gabe and Itzak should be here with us. We should all be together."

"But the right thing to do is not always what we want to do," said Laureline. "If you being out there means that a soldier could go home to his family, it is worth it."

He hugged us.

We all knew we might not be together again.

"Make sure others come back alive," I cried.

We watched as Doc left with the American major.

"It's just the two of us now," said Laureline.

In a sense, it was. I recalled the sixteen months all of us spent traveling together. Meeting Itzak at his family home, meeting Laureline, when Itzak and I had nowhere else to go, meeting Gabe, who crashed into that barn after the failed attempt to drive the Invid Regency from Earth, meeting Doc at that base near Lake Kyoga.

We were together sixteen months.

Sixteen months that had the most impact out of twenty-one and a half years of life.

We shared joy.

We shared pain.

I remember what Yusuf Obegwo said.

The Invid could not take away our memories. That is one victory we will never give them.

But looking at the troops here at Richland Center, we were not alone.

Ooooooooo

We and the Invid could not just stare at each other.

It was like a spinning top on a flat surface.

Soon the top loses angular momentum due to friction, and it falls.

Two well-armed enemies, protected by layers of fortifications.

Staring at each other is like a spinning top.

And the top had to fall.

And so it did.

There were so many resistance groups here at Richland Center.

I had already encountered the Israeli Defense Force and the Vietnamese Liberation Force and the Japanese Imperial Self-Defense Force and the People's Army of China and the U.S. Army. There were other resistance groups like the Fist of Darius and the Roman Legion and the U.S. Air Force and Teddy's Rough Riders and the Lafayette Escadrille. No doubt they had detachments deployed to the firebases closer to Reflex Point.

It was time.

Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo briefed us on our role, our plan.

A plan that would be the first casualty in battle.

The next casualty will be human lives.

I was inside the cockpit of my Stonewell Bellcom VFB-9 Beta. Amazing that I had this girl for over a year, since obtaining it from this place called Iron Mountain in this region of Earth called Afghanistan.

I flipped switches and checked the instruments and gauges.

Maybe the Regess will agree with Itzak, and withdraw her forces from Earth.

The commander gave the signal.

We lifted off.

I thought of Itzak.

His fate relied on the outcome of this battle.


	46. Princess v Privateer

"Bandits at twelve o' clock," said Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo.

I looked ahead. Reflex Point was clearly visible

"You know the drill," said First Lieutenant Peyton Flagg. "We keep the enemy air forces busy so that they could not take potshots at our ground forces."

I agreed.

Doc was relying on us.

"Lock on for max range," said Orca Leader. "Fire!"

And we did. Our missiles headed towards the Invid bandits.

"We splashed two of them," said Second Lieutenant Sal Molino.

"Orca Squadron, engage!" yelled the commander.

And so we did, doing our dance in the sky against the Invid scouts and fighter scouts and those humanoid-shaped battloids which were about as maneuverable. I kept an eye on the screens and on my scopes. I managed to blast one of them out of the sky.

One of the fighter scouts was one my six.

I had to shake this bandit or my charred body parts would become food for the aquatic life swimming in Lake Superior!

"I can't shake this guy!" I yelled.

That bandit was persistent, almost as persistent as Solzie.

"Come on," I said, weaving every which way.

Suddenly the bandit disappeared.

"Let's continue the fight," said Orca Two.

"Got it," I replied.

"That takes care of this enemy group," said Commander Obegwo. "Let's reinforce the other squadrons."

"Copy," I said.

And so we did, attacking another Invid air group that was in battle with a Japanese fighter squadron.

"Thank for the assist," said the Japanese leader.

"Here comes another group," said Flagg.

"Where are those reinforcements from space," said Molino.

"let's focus on the task at hand, Orca Six."

And we did. We danced with another group of Invid air mecha. Laser pulses and missiles flew about. We kept shifting modes during the battle. The strain on the transformation mechanisms must be great.

After maybe a minute or so, the Invid air group was retreating from the area.

"I wonder if we can reinforce our ground forces," said Orca Two.

"Wait, there's a bogey on sensors," said Orca Six.

"Another Invid air group?" asked Orca Leader.

"How many do they have?" asked Laureline.

I could see it on my screens. It was a vapor cloud.

I was nervous.

Was this another Invid weapon?

"It's communicating," said one of the Orca pilots.

I heard a voice.

That was Itzak!

He was calling out to me.

"It's that boy," said Commander Obegwo.

"She needs to see the Regess," said Itzak. "She has some of her memories. If we can end this battle without any further loss."

We were nervous.

This could be a trap.

And yet…

"I have to go," I said.

"Orca Two, Orca Eleven, cover Orca Twelve," said Orca Leader.

"Yes, sir," replied Lieutenant Flagg.

"Got it," replied Laureline.

And so I followed the light towards the center of Reflex Point. I looked at my radar screen, for any Invid Regency mecha that would come to intercept.

The giant sphere appeared to grow even more gigantic as I got closer and closer.

Then something opened up.

My Beta was swallowed.

I was in this dark place.

I could see Itzak.

And a much brighter light ahead.

"You trust me, right?" asked Itzak.

"Always," I answered.

Then I was consumed by the light.

There was this screeching sound.

I could feel a tingling sensation.

And then I was inside this huge chamber. I got out of my Beta and looked around.

There were these thick webs surrounding the chamber. There were these oval objects strewn around at the perimeter.

The centerpiece was this huge sphere overhead.

Itxak appeared next to me. He looked pretty much the same- tightly-curled black hair, dark skin, a T-shirt and trousers. He was bathed in this light.

"Are you here?" I asked.

"I am here and not here," he replied.

"So you have brought this human," said this voice. "The one you say is your big sister."

"Yes, your Grace," he replied.

Some lights flashed. This beam of light appeared from the sphere.

I saw this giant humanoid figure in a red robe, maybe five meters tall. The head was shaped like a human head, with no hair and pale skin.

That was none other than the Invid Regess herself.

I can feel that.

"Human, you will tell me your business in the core of my very domain!" she bellowed.

"Your Grace," I said. I introduced myself. "I was part of a crew that hunted your people for protoculture. My ship was attacked and ended up destroyed over Earth. I survived, and met Itzak here."

"And you fought against my people."

"Because we were enemies, your Grace. The love of my life was…was killed by one of your people, just as he killed many of yours. But he and I and Laureline and Doc..Alazar Aboudi, we took in a child who lost his family. He became our little brother."

"A child you believed human."

"Yes, he looked human. But surely you have heard of the human who became his father. He knew Itzak was not a human, and yet raised him as his son!" A tear flowed down my cheek. "A human became the father to an Invid."

"Dad was the best," said Itzak. "One of the best humans in history."

"And where is he now, young Itzak?" asked the Regess.

"He…he was killed."

"By the Invid?"

"By other humans."

"Humans who killed him because his blood was ever so slightly different. What would they do to you? What did they try to do to you?"

"There's good and bad among humans," said Itzak. "But even humans could set aside their differences. The Japanese used to be mortal enemies of the Americans, long long ago. And yet, they are allies."

"Because of a common foe. If they defeat us, what will stop them from turning against each other?"

"There are many humans who hate the Invid for the invasion and the pain they caused," I said. "The invasion separated humans from their families off-world. The man who threatened to kill Itzak, he was stranded here for thirteen years, separated from his family. I got between him and Itzak. He backed down.

"And there is something you need to know, your Grace. I was exposed to the Spores of the Flower of Life. I have memories, memories of the destruction of the original Invid home world by the Children of the Shadow."

"You know about that?" asked the Regess, surprise in her voice.

"Because of the Flower," I replied. "I have some of your memories. I remember you meeting Zor. I remember the Zentraedi attack on Optera. And…and I remember..you meeting that Invid Hive Lord, condemned to the Hole for his crimes. I remember you breaking him out of the Hole after the Zentraedi attack. I remember him and you becoming the Regent and Regess, hailed by survivors who wanted to pay back the Robotech Masters with interest.

"He was a charming…man. But by the time you saw through his charm, you felt it was too late, too late to steer from the course you were on. You felt you could not turn back."

"You…you're right. He..he wanted to become _the_ Invid."

I heard the italics.

" He had the Hive Lords eliminated, replaced by Invid brains who were merely an extension of his will," she continued. He…he would have done the same to me, if his human ally Edwards did not turn against him."

"Listen, Mother," said Itzak. "If we leave this planet, the humans might consider peace…"

Then something interrupted us.

I looked and saw this purple, humaniod-looking war machine.

That was an Invid Overlord.

And I knew who was piloting that dreaded veritech.

She stepped out.

Not surprisingly, she looked human, with loosely-curled purple hair and skin the color of creamed coffee. She was dressed in some sort of flight suit.

I supposed guys would find her attractive.

"Princess Solzie!" yelled the Regess.

"Your Grace," she replied. "I see you have decided to treat with these vermin. Prince Corg was right about them."

"We're not vermin!" yelled Itzak.

"A brutish, inferior form of life, only suited for dirty work and cannon fodder," said the princess. "It was a mistake for our kind to be made in the image of…of these _worms_!"

"I have made my judgment," said the Regess. "This planet is our new home, and we must take the form that will allow us to survive all over."

For a brief moment I wondered if she would have remade the Invid in the image of the scalie had the Flower grown on Glorie.

"You must stop!" I heard this female voice say.

"Ariel!" yelled the Invid Regess.

In looked and saw whom she was talking to. A woman with reddish hair, wearing a yellow jacket.

"I ask you," said Ariel. "We can stop this war if we leave Earth. Let the humans have their world. As long as we try to stay, the humans will never stop attacking."

"Just like the vermin they are," said Solzie.

"Who are you?"

"Princess Solzie, Sword of the Regess," she said.

"Ariel, you side with the humans?" asked the Regess. "These two have been trying to convince me to leave Earth. The Flower only grows here!"

"We need peace talks," said Itzak.

"I have been traveling with a group of humans for over a year," said Ariel. "If I can bring them here to plead their case…"

"Why fight over some insignificant rock?" said Solzie. "We are the Invid, and our goal is just to rule a little piece of some rock? We were a galactic power!

"I must agree with my brother Itzak here. We must leave this planet. I..I have been presented with a new vision."

"A new vision?" asked Ariel.

"A new galactic order, based on protoculture. Our dear departed Lord Regent could not make this vision a reality, but my allies and I can. "

"Allies?" asked the Regess.

"I have had meetings and communications with them." Solzie looked at Itzak and Ariel. "Soon, this rock will be destroyed, reduced to a tiny little black ball. Join me, Prince and Princess. Hail me as your Lady Regess. You can be part of this new galactic order that shall outlast ten thousand years!"

"Galactic domination," I said. "Very impressive. And here I thought your obsession was to just kill me. I'm all for character development."

I turned my back to walk towards my Beta so I can leave.

I then heard a blast.

It went right past me!

I glanced and saw that Ariel had tackled Solzie.

I ran into the cockpit of my beta and started up all the systems.

Maybe I could blast Solzie before she can get into her Overlord.

No such luck. She managed to get free and into the cockpit of her Overlord.

"You die!" she yelled.

She opened up with a few blasts, and I dodged.

I tackled her in battloid mode. We were soon flying up to that space within the core.

And so we danced. We kept going round and around, firing blasts at each other and shifting modes. I fired a bunch of missiles, and saw some of them strike the Overlord.

The Overlord was still in one piece.

"Not good enough," said Solzie.

This was going to be a long battle.

We kept doing the same thing.

It was like snapshots, with the occasional glancing blow.

But neither of us could score the _coup de grace_ that would end this duel.

I had to keep her occupied. If she is obsessed with me, she will not threaten the rest of the squadron, the rest of the attack force.

She was chasing after me. She was on the offense. The laser pulses just passed right by me, probably singing my fighter.

I emerged out of the central Hive, and out into the open blue sky.

Solzie was still gunning for me. I continued my dance with the Overlord.

I could not let her go after Laureline.

Or Doc.

So we continued this dance, shifting between modes as we fired at each other.

"I must be annoying you, your Highness," I said. "Not letting you kill me and all."

"You will be ash when I am done with you!" she yelled in reply.

How long can she keep this up?

How long can I keep this up?

There must be some way to fake her out.

I then went low, to the ground. I switched to battloid. I fired at her Overlord.

She was moving at me fast.

If I could gert a direct hit, the duel would be over.

It was not.

Solzie tackled me.

We were in melee, like on that bridge in New York. We wrestled around for a bit.

As long as her attention is on me, and not on Laureline or Doc or Obegwo and the others.

I blasted my thrusters to the max.

We were rising.

I could tell Solzie was at full throttle in her Overlord. We were rising really fast even as we were trading punches.

I noticed the altimeter climbing.

Five thousand meters.

Six thousand meters.

Seven thousand meters.

Even as my Beta traded blows with Solzie's Overlord, I noticed something.

The blue sky seemed to get darker.

Soon it went black.

Our combined thrust put us in low Earth orbit. I glanced and noticed the Expeditionary Fleet was in battle with the Invid Regency fleet. There were plenty of fireballs.

For a countless time we traded blows, even high up above Earth.

She then pushed me away, creating some distance.

I had to dodge again.

I flew around, this time three hundred klicks above the surface. I could see the curvature, the bklue oceans, and Reflex Point.

And this dance in space continued for so long.

I would run out of protoculture soon.

It was then I saw something.

The shops launched something.

From a distance, they had the rough shape of a mushroom.

Oh no!

Those were the planet busters from my dream!

I could see the caps separating from the stalk.

"Orca Twelve to whoever is out there!" I yelled. "Those missiles! Abort the launch! You don't know what you're doing!"

"Who's this?" a voice asked.

I then felt a blast. I took a glancing blow.

There was damage.

If I could not maneuver, I would die out here in the vacuum of space.

I could not shake her!

I then heard this communication.

"Here me, my children," said the voice.

That was the Regess.

"When we sensed the first faint indications of the protoculture resources on this world," she continued, "we thought at last we had found the home for which we searched. We called together all of our people scattered throughout the galaxy to begin life anew on this planet. We began rebuilding a world that had been nearly destroyed by evil. And we constructed the Genesis Pits to pursue the path of Enlightened Evolution. But it was not enough."

This light suddenly emerged from where Reflex Point was. It destroyed those missiles and some of the ships of the attacking Expeditionary Fleet!

"The Earth is gradually reviving and eventually will regain its proper balance in accordance with the laws of , the humans hacve been influenced too strongly by the shadow of the Robotech Masters and are intent only in the destruction of their entire race. It shall not be. We will continue our evolutionary development elsewhere! Come with me! Discard this world and follow the spirit of light as it beckons us onward!"

"Where are you going!" yelled Solzie.

I had her in my sights.

I went in and opened fire, striking the Overlord.

I grabbed on to her.

We were plunging into Earth's atmosphere, even as the lights from below went up.

"Let me go!" she yelled.

I can still remember the name of that girl she killed.

Catarina Estevez.

Her death inspired the people of Earth to go on the offense.

The black was replaced by blue as we descended. We were surrounded by this reddish halo, as the friction heated up our hulls.

The external temperature was getting dangerously high.

I could die.

Taking down Solzie would be worth it.

I looked at the altimeter.

We were going down.

The hull was very hot.

Some of it might be boiling off.

I looked and could see the landscape from up high.

Then the screens went black.

The camera was damaged.

I only had my instruments.

I was descending.

I was falling.

I pushed the throttle and slowed my descent.

"This is Orca Twelve!" I yelled. "I'm coming in hot!"

I braced for impact.

I then hit the ground with a thud.

I hurt all over.

I wiggled my fingers and toes.

I stepped out, got out of the cockpit.

And stepped on the grass.

I was on Earth again.

I looked up and saw a flock of birds flying. There were no fireballs from exploding aircraft.

I removed my helmet.

I looked to my left, and saw the smoking ruin of the Invid Overlord.

I heard the noise of motorcycles. Some Cyclones arrived. They transformed into armor mode.

One of the men lifted his visor, and revealed himself as Commander Greenhair!

The same Bullfrog commander who tried to kill Itzak.

"This is good," I heard.

I looked and saw the glowing form of Itzak.

I then saw something else.

I saw a woman dragging herself by her arms along the ground.

That was Solzie.

Some of Greenhair's men approached the injured Invid princess.

"I am a princess!" she yelled, coughing up green blood. "How can I be defeated by some….by some filthy worm!"

"Who is she?" asked Greenhair.

"She is my sister," said Itzak.

"Are you here?" I asked.

"I am with the Invid," he replied. "There are answers which I can only get from them. But you, you are also my sister. I will never forget. And someday, we will be together."

Itzak then faded.

And he was gone.

Commander Greenhair seemed saddened about Itzak leaving Earth, the only home he had ever known.

I was sad too.

But maybe, just maybe, Itzak and me and Laureline and Doc will be together again.

"What about her?" asked one of Greenhair's men, pointing his thumb at Solzie.

"She is wanted for war crimes in connection with the Invid attack on New York," I said.

"I'll summon a medivac myself," said the commander. "Our superiors will decide what to do with her. Master Chief, take some men and secure that Invid war machine."

"Yes, sir," replied the master chief.

It was over.

But at what price?


	47. Lost and Found

The mood back at Richland Center was a mixture of joy and sorrow. The Invid Regency had withdrawn, though of course the troops here were still on high alert. Other troops were doing maintenance and policing on the base. No doubt the generals and admirals and their staffs were at important meetings.

Where did the Invid go? It would not surprise me if scout ships from the Expeditionary Fleet were already looking for them.

I hugged Laureline as soon as I saw her.

"Good to see you among the living," she said.

"Same to you. Any word from Doc?"

"There are still troops out there."

She did not have to tell me she did not hear anything about Doc.

"Itzak said goodbye," I said. "He left with the Invid."

"So he's really gone."

"He has to come back! I mean, he left his bike here!"

There was one other thing we can do.

We went to this Quonset hut with a Red Cross on it.

Looking inside, there were so many hospital beds with wounded troops. Doctors, nurses, and medics moved about in between treating these patients.

"We should be grateful," I heard.

Laureline and I turned around and saw Brigadier General Jack Emerson, wearing his short-sleeve camouflage.

"Good afternoon," I said. "How are you doing?"

"Just taking time to visit the wounded," replied the general. "I've been attending meetings since the Invid left."

He walked down this corridor marked by hospital beds.

"Jack," I heard a female voice say. "Jack, is that you?"

"Shelby? It's been what, five years? I didn't even know you were still alive!"

I looked and saw this woman with blond hair stand up. She has dressed in a blue gown.

"Wow, you got a new hand, Jack. I'm gonna be needing a new hand too, just a right one, not a left one."

I saw Shelby's right arm, which ended in a bandage-covered stump; a black stain was on the bandage.

"Colonel Porter," said one of the medics. "Please sit down. You're still recovering from the surgery."

"Get well, Shelby," said Emerson before turning around and leaving. Just as General Emerson left, Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo walked in.

"Good to see you're still alive," I said to the commander.

"Same to you," replied Obegwo. "I just got out of an hours-long debriefing. We…we lost Peyton- Lieutenant Flagg. She was the best of us."

"We will never forget," said Laureline.

"The boy went with the Invid," said Commander Obegwo. "I can tell from your faces."

"He'll come back," I said. "He has to."

"I wish I knew what to say."

I'll work on my after-action report on what happened," I said.

Ooooo

Not surprisingly, there were more people than Commander Obegwo that was interested in my encounter with the Invid Regess.

"So those missiles you claim the fleet fired were the same missiles as in your dream?" asked Colonel Nova Satori, sitting behind a desk in a makeshift room in one of the Quonset huts on base.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied. "I even tried to broadcast a warning. The missiles were destroyed when the Invid left."

The colonel sipped a cup of coffee- a luxury that was more available now than when we first got to Richland Center. I had briefly recapped what happened when I followed Itzak into Reflex Point- the meeting with the Regess, Solzie, and that woman Ariel who was apparently an Invid, the duel with Solzie that took us just outside Earth's atmosphere, my witnessing the departure of the Invid.

I wondered how much she already knew.

"There's nothing further I have to ask at the time," she said. "Have fun. Us high-ranking people don't get to celebrate victories- we have to continue our work." She stood up. "Still, I suppose in between all the meetings I will be attending, I could expedite your transfer home."

"I will be grateful for that, Colonel."

Oooooooo

There were things going on that spiced up the routine of mopping up the area after the Invid Regency left. I and so many other troops saw a news broadcast from the Chairman of the United Nations Plenipotentiary Council.

"We are sending relief supplies to Earth," said the chairman, standing behind a podium. "But the war with the Invid Regency is far from over. Our fleet has deployed scout ships to search for the Invid, and our contract privateers are doing the same. Supreme Allied Commander Veidt of the Sentinels Alliance Command has pledged the full support of our allies in this endeavor. That is all."

So the war continues.

The Sentinels Alliance had the upper hand; they would not accept anything less than an unconditional surrender.

Without an unconditional surrender, Itzak will be killed in the continuing war.

But what could I do?

There was good news.

Laureline and I hugged doc as he returned, this in his CVR-03 armor.

"I'm glad you're back," said Laureline.

"I'm glad I helped four wounded soldiers make it to the hospital alive," he cried in reply. "The boy?"

"He left with the Invid," I said.

"A boy his age must learn much, to become a man."

"But he left us, the only family he had now," said Laureline. "He left Earth, the only home he had ever known."

"The only home he knew was his home with his father in the African Serengeti," said Doc. "Until those Purifiers sacked it. We have been moving him from place to place for what, two years? His whole world was ripped apart when he started turning from boy to man. "

"He hasn't given up on us," I said. "He will be back with us."

"And what of your family?" asked Doc. "Earth will soon have full realtime contact with the rest of the galaxy."

"I'll be heading to the Moon Base to make contact," I said. "Would you…like to come with me?'

"Yes," said Laureline.

"Of course."

"Colonel Satori had her connections," I said. "We leave in two hours."

Ooooooooo

The cargo shuttle was waiting for us on the tarmac on the maskeshift air base in Richland Center, having delivered more supplies to the troops on Earth. I introduced myself, Laureline, and Doc to the crew.

"So you are our passengers," said the Spacy lieutenant in charge. "I heard one of you was a privateer."

"That was me," I said. "I ended up stranded here for almost two years during a raid that did not go as planned."

"You guys did make a mess with the Invid forces in space. We would not have had this victory if they could call for reinforcement."

"I suppose," said Laureline.

She looked away from the ship.

"What is it?" asked Doc.

"I never left Earth," she replied. "My mother came from the stars. Now I will go up there. I feel that I will be closer to her."

"Goodbye," said Commander Obegwo. "We are thankful your providing backup. My role here is not done. It was an honor serving with you. We will never forget any of you."

"Perhaps I can travel outside da system da next time I have leave," said Petty Officer Second Class Bridget Riley, wearing her blue overalls. We all hugged her. "Take care."

We all took deep breaths. We would not be breathing Earth's atmosphere for quite a while.

We boarded the shuttle and a Spacy crewman, who was just barely out of girlhood, showed us to our seats.

"I hope I could visit Earth again," she said. "I only heard of it."

Have I really been on earth for twenty months- nearly two years?

I felt heavy as the shuttle lifted off. The heaviness was not just from the acceleration.

Oooo

It took a few hours before I heard the announcement that we were about to land. We braced ourselves.

Laureline looked a little bewildered. She had not been on a commercial air flight, let alone space flight.

I felt a thud.

"Welcome to Moon Base ALuCE," said the lead pilot.

"Jetway pressurized," announced a voice.

"How did you enjoy your flight?" asked the Spacy crewman.

"I wish you served filet mignon with _au gratin_ potatoes, a Caesar salad, and some white wine to wash it down," I said.

"Well, there's a steakhouse in Apollopolis just outside the base. Not that I could afford to eat there more than once every other year with the pay they give me."

We stepped out through the jetway. On the other side, a squad of Space Marine military police greeted us.

"You will need to register with us," said their leader, a first lieutenant.

The MP's escorted us through the corridors; we passed many servicemen of various services along the way. They led us to the Space Marine Military Polcie Station. On a table near the front desk, there was a retina-scanning station.

"Just look," said the military police lieutenant.

I did and I heard this buzzing sound and saw a brief flash of red.

"You are who you say you are," said the lieutenant.

I looked at a monitor screen. There was a page, specifically a page from the U.N. Aerospace Administration Licensed Privateer Database. I saw my name and my face. My privateer license was good for another two years. That meant another two years to finish those continuing education courses.

"At least you're not a wanted crook," said another MP. "Otherwise, we'd apprehend you."

"I should scan as well," said Doc. "I am Alazar Aboudi; I was an Air Force Special Forces combat medic during the War with the Masters, trained to save lives as well as take them." He looked into the retinal scanner.

"You are who you say you are," the lieutenant said to Doc.

"What about her?" asked an MP, who was a private.

"She's with us," I said.

"Good enough for me," replied the lieutenant.

"Understood, sir," replied the private.

"I would like to contact my family on Planet Glorie," I said.

"We could do that," said the lieutenant. "But we did contact your employer; some of their executives came to visit this Moon; many of their cargo ships are being used to ferry supplies to Earth. You could meet with them if you want."

"Actually, I would like to meet them," I said.

"Your belongings are in custody. We will release them once you make arrangements for transport."

We went out to a waiting truck.

"Wow," said Laureline. "I've…I've seen the moon all my life, but to actually stand on it."

"Buzz Lightyear must have felt the same way when he first stepped on the moon in 1865," I said.

"No, that was Buzz Armstrong in 1964," said Doc. "He was with John Diamond and Neil Lennon."

"I was never good at history, Doc."

We rode in a truck. It was only a minute or two before we arrived at the Trans Galactic terminal.

"So they have a hangar at the base itself," said Doc.

"They are still _the_ contractor for Military Spacelift Command," I replied. "The admiral- his last post before retiring from the Spacy- was commander of Military Spacelift Command."

"Military Spacelift Command?" asked Laureline.

"They move equipment, supplies, and personnel between planets, moons, and deep space supply bases," I answered. "Without them, the Expeditionary Forces can not function."

I entered the terminal. We emerged into this front office with tables, chairs, and a reception desk. Behind the reception desk was this man, or rather boy, a few years younger, wearing a suit.

"How can I help you?" he asked, his voice barely cracking.

I told him who I was.

"Let me look that up," he replied. His eyes widened. "Wow. You were missing for nearly two years."

"And found," I said.

"I better make a call," said the young man. He picked up a telephone handset. "Sir, she's here….Right away, boss." He looked at us. "Please follow me."

And so we did. We followed him through the hallways, passing many employees. I figured the terminal was busy due to recent events. After walking for maybe two minutes, we reached this conference room. We all sat around the wooden dk.

The young man left, and this dark haired lady appeared, wearing a coat and skirt.

"The admiral and his staff should be here," she said. "In the meantime, we have water and coffee."

"Thank you," said Laureline.

Sure enough, the pot was filled with hot coffee. There was even sugar and cream.

Some people walked in just as I was sipping the coffee. I instantly recognized one of them- a woman with auburn hair, wearing a gray coat, gray skirt, and a white blouse. She had an ID badge pinned to her coat. Even after six years, I could recognize her.

"Rebecca?" I asked.

Rebecca Westlake called out my name. "You're alive," she said. "I thought you were lost to the Invid."

"There were times when I thought that too. You work for the company?"

"Yes. I got recently promoted to Senior Operations Coordinator two months ago."

"Uh..congratulations."

"Your family must be missing you so much."

"I will see them."

"I must talk to her," said the admiral.

I recognized the admiral. He was a man wearing a three-piece suit, with a blue coat, a red waistcoat, blue necktie, and gray trousers . His distinctive feature was his blue hair streaked with gray. He wore eyeglasses. I knew about him. He was a veteran of Skull Squadron during the SDF-1 Campaign of the First Robotech War. He was in the early exploration missions and the Pioneer Mission. He was commander of the Military Spacelift Command until his retirement as a rear admiral about five years ago. He was hired as Chief Executive Officer of Trans Galactic four years ago.

He was _the_ admiral.

His name was Max Sterling.

"I'm here," I said to Sterling.

"Do you know of any other survivors of the _Golden Eagle_?" he asked.

"No, sir," I replied.

"What happened down there?'

I told Max Sterling a brief synopsis of my experiences.

"And these two with you helped you in resisting the Invid?" asked the admiral.

"Yes, sir," I answered.

"At least we can tell the families of the _Golden Eagle_ ," said Sterling. "At least…they get closure."

Memories of the officers and crew of the _Golden Eagle_ briefly surfaced.

"Listen," said the admiral. "We'll make arrangements for your flight home. You know, I did hear some good news."

"What news, sir?"

"My son," he said. "He…he wasleft behind when Earth was evacuated thirteen years ago. He was only fourteen years old when he was stranded. But he's alive. He's been resisting the Invid! He survived the Battle of Reflex Point! He was sent up here on leave."

I could see tears in his yes.

"That's good," I said.

"Miriya and I..we..never knew what happened….he wasn't among the evacuees. We spent so much time looking for him in the crowd…He's …he's alive. It was confirmed. I…I have to see him. I have to bring him home. My boy's back."

"That..well, I…uh... am happy for you," said Rebecca. "Very good."

"Yes, sir," said another executive.

"Please excuse me," said Max Sterling. He left the room.

"I can help you," Rebecca said to me and Laureline and Doc. "I do coordinate operations. But maybe we should have ourselves a little break."

Oooooo

The bar and grill had some booths, a bar as usual, and a stage for live singers.

"I wonder if they have karaoke night," said Rebecca Westlake. "Come on."

We found a booth and all sat down. I looked around and most of the people here were servicemen, though there were a few civilians. We ordered a few drinks plus onion rings and mozzarella cheesesticks and potato skins.

"You are here for work," said Laureline.

"Well, treating heroes is part of my job," said Rebecca. "I coordinate. And if I have to buy people drinks and food, so be it."

"Very generous of you," said Doc. "Thank you."

Laureline and Doc briefly introduced themselves.

"So you helped her survive," said Rebecca. "I am impressed."

I have not spoken to her in six years.

I could not forget what she did.

"I still remember," I said.

"Remember?" she asked.

"Yes, you should know."

She stayed silent for a moment. "Yes. It was inexcusable."

"What happened?" asked Laureline.

A waitress wearing a black apron delivered our food and drinks to us.

Rebecca bowed her head down. "One of my friends was jealous that this boy, Kaifun, had a crush on you," she said to me. "We wanted to humiliate you. At that party, we offered you a drink, and we spiked it. You were unconscious. We took off your clothes and took pictures, lots of pictures. We then posted them online."

"Online?" asked Laureline, not very familiar with the term.

"How could you?" asked Doc, who was old enough to understand what online meant even though he practically lived all his life on Earth.

"We were jealous girls," said Rebecca. "When someone threatens our..position, we acted."

"I tried to kill myself," I said. "I'd be dead already if I were a better shot!"

"What we…what I did was wrong," said Rebecca. "I can't be thankful enough that I avoided juvenile court. Still, my social life became nonexistent for the rest of my high school career."

"And that is worse than me trying to kill myself, in despair over the utter humiliation? How many creeps out there still look those naked pictures of me, doing God knows what? I was just a little girl!"

"It's not worse. I did focus on my studies, I did reflect on my deeds. I got better. I now have a successful career. But…but it pales in comparison to you. You graduated from an aerospace academy, with all those rules and regulations which I would not have been able to handle. You became a privateer. You hunted the Invid. And you survived almost two years on Earth, helped take it back. You've done more than I did. You're…you're better than me. And it is mostly because of what I chose to do."

I began thinking. I had been through a lot during my time on Earth.

"That's right," I said. "What happened back then was wrong. It does not mean...it should …fully control what happens next."

"Let me get you a drink," she said. "Peace offering."

"Sure."

And so we went to the bar to have a drink. I just wanted a beer.

I remembered the hurt Rebecca and her friends caused me six years ago.

I remembered how it incited me to attempt suicide, how close I was to dying at only fifteen years old.

And yet, I must learn from my memories, not submit to them.

I sipped a beer. "Peace," I said.

"Peace," replied Rebecca.

We clinked our glasses.

We then heard someone singing on stage.

 _I always think of you_

 _Dream of you late at night_

I looked and it was this lady with red hair, clad in a black sleeveless dress. A close-up of her face appeared in the screen behind her. She looked and sounded kind of familiar. I stood up to listen closer.

 _What do you do?_

 _When I turn out the light?_

 _No matter who I trust_

I turned around, looking back on my friends and Rebecca.

I then recognized someone familiar. He was a man with brown hair and glasses, wearing a white coat.

"Doc Nichols?" I asked. "Is that really you?"

"Do you know me?" asked Dr. Louis Nichols.

I introduced myself. "I was one of your students at the Tirol Aerospace Academy, over two years ago!"

"I did have a lot of students. Some of them went to the military. I myself was called to active duty a month ago, almost certainly in preparation for that last battle. Timing was convenient, since the school semester was over. I really hope to be released from active duty soon so I can prepare my lesson plans for the next batch of midshipmen. "

One of the men sitting with Dr. Nichols asked if I said my name.

"Yes," I said. "That's me."

The man- with dark hair, an olive complexion, wearing a flight suit stood up. "You gave me that message," he said. "You gave me that message to send to Expeditionary Command. You gave me the message to tell your family you're all right."

"You were one of those pilots."

"Alex Romero," he said. "Second Lieutenant, United Nations Spacy, Skull Squadron."

I looked at the patch on his flight suit, which had a skull and crossbones.

"My dad flew in Skull Squadron during the SDF-1 campaign," I said, telling him my dad's name.

"Yeah, he mentioned that when I met him. I was in Wolf Squadron then."

"You met him?"

"Commander Taylor, my old commander, he told me and my wingman, Lieutenant Rush, to personally deliver the news to your families. I was assigned to your family. I took a flight to Planet Glorie, had to go on this hover ferry to that island. I almost got lost. I managed to meet your parents just as they were having dinner. I look forward to seeing them again, but there's something I must…"

"Who's your new friend here, Alex?" asked this voice.

Romero introduced me to this young man in a flight suit. He had brown hair and brown eyes.

"Second Lieutenant Marcus Rush," he said. "I remember that mission. It was easier for me to find the enxt-of-kin. That lieutenant's father is a command sergeant major in the Space Marines, so I simply met him in his office. He looked so happy, thinking that his son was killed in that battle over Earth, then hearing he was still alive down there. Is he here? Or still on Earth with the ground forces?"

I took a deep breath. "He's still on Earth," I said. "That's where he was laid to rest."

I could see a sad expression on Rush's face. "I..I'm too familiar with that," he said. "The command sergeant major seemed so happy when I passed the message from his son. But how can I face him…."

"That is why I have taken it upon myself to deliver the news to him and his family. I owe him."

"So you were a combat pilot too?" asked this purple-haired lady in a flight suit.

"Yes," I said. "It's a long story. I didn't join the military. I was a privateer for Trans Galactic. I was stranded on Earth, met Gabe and the others, found a beta fighter and learned how to fly it."

"Amazing what a small galaxy this really is," said Purplehair. "My dad flew in the same squadron at the same time as your dad did. He is now Chief Executive Officer of Trans Galactic. Allow me to introduce myself. Maia Sterling, Lieutenant Commander, United Nations Spacy, Skull Leader. I may look young for a lieutenant commander and squadron leader, but it runs in the family."

"You're the admiral's daughter?" asked Rebecca. I turned around, and Rebecca was standing maybe half a meter behind me.

"Yes," replied the commander. "Max Sterling is retired."

"We call him the admiral because of his service. I should introduce myself. Rebecca Westlake, Senior Operations Coordinator, future Chief Operations Officer, Trans Galactic, Incorporated."

"Maybe we will work together, Miss Westlake," said Sterling.

"And these two work with you?" Commander Sterling was referring to Laureline and Doc.

"Actually, they were with me on Earth," I answered. I introduced them both.

"Nice to meet you," said Laureline.

"The three of us have been through so much," said Doc.

"There's something I should say," I said to the commander. "Your dad's here."

"Well, yes, he's the CEO and the company has this major important project what with delivering supplies and equipment to Earth. Their ship provided support…"

"His son..your brother…he's alive. He mentioned that when I met him."

"I can't believe it," said Sterling, standing up. I never met him. Mom and Dad only showed me pictures. His evacuation shuttle was shot down by the Invid. But he's alive."

"And he's meeting your dad here on this base."

Sterling got up, walked maybe two meters away from us, and pulled out a cell phone.

"He really is here," I heard her say. "I'll be meeting you two. Tell me where."

"This is great news, Commander," said Lieutenant Rush. "After so many of us were lost."

"Great to hear," replied Lieutenant Romero.

"Excuse me," said Commander Sterling. "I have to meet my dad…and my big brother for the first time."

"Take care," said Rebecca.

The commander left.

Romero and Dr. Nichols were chatting with Laureline and Doc.

"They were telling us of their experiences on Earth," said Dr. Nichols. "You have traveled far."

"I do find these stories interesting," said a female voice. I did not have to turn my head to know that was the lady who sang earlier.

"And you are?" I asked.

"Janice Em, assistant to Dr. Nichols," she replied.

"Well, we did meet others who were stranded on Earth like you," said Lieutenant Romero.

"She was stranded," said Laureline. "I lived on Earth all my life."

"Well, anyway, we met up with Commander Scott Bernard. He…already knew Marcus. He crashed on Earth two years ago and led a resistance group. One of his crew came up here with him. Her name's Ariel."

Upon hearing that name, it brought back a memory of what happened just yesterday.

"Did this Ariel have red hair?" I asked.

"Did you know her?" asked Dr. Nichols.

"I had better check on Scott," said Rush.

"Marcus, wait," said Rebecca, walking to him. "My business card. Call me?"

"Maybe," said Second Lieutenant Marcus Rush.

He then left the bar.

"I do have work to do," said Rebecca. "I'll make transportation arrangements for you."

"I do want to go wherever Gabe's family is," I said.

"Marcus might know," said Romero. "If not, I'll talk to Commander Sterling."

"You'll need my card for a contact," said Rebecca. "Business only, not pleasure."

"Shall we get going?" I asked.

They stood up in reply. And we left.

Ooooooooo

Rebecca did us good in getting us a hotel room- one of this mini-apartment types that served a full breakfast. It was great to have a hot shower before bedtime and a nice hot breakfast in the morning; I had scrambled eggs, hash browns, orange juice, and coffee.

It was time to leave. From what both Commander Sterling and Lieutenants Romero and Rush have been able to learn, the Gashtars were still living on Tirol, not far from Joint Forces Air Field Tirol, which was the main United Earth Forces base on that moon as well as the site of Supreme Command Headquarters and Robotech Expeditionary Forces Command Headquarters.

And so we were prepared to leave. A driver took us to the terminal where the cargo ship was located. Our bikes and belongings were already loaded.

"Take care," Rebecca said to us just at the end of the connecting jetway.

"You too," I said. Those painful memories stayed buried. They were still there, but they did not dominate merely because I was looking at Rebecca Westlake.

I sat in the seat and the cargo ship lifted off from Earth's moon.

"Prepare for hyperspace fold," said the pilot.

"I've never traveled through hyperspace before," said Laureline.

"Some people imagine that the whole observable part of the Universe is actually traveling through hyperspace," I said. "One can only observe transitions between the dimensions. The Hyperspatial Equivalence Principle. Doc Nichols taught me about it."

And the multicolored lights and the sound all but screamed that we were on our way to Tirol.


	48. Gashtar Family Album

There were some multicolored lights and the creaming again.

"Hyperspace defold complete," said the pilot. We have defolded into orbuit around Tirol. External transit time has been confirmed to be thirteen hours. We are now requesting clearance to make our final approach to Tirol Main Base."

The cargo ship had a few amenities. There was complementary tea and coffee. And some video games and movies for entertainment.

"Are you feeling all right?" asked Laureline.

"No."

"It's okay to not feel all right," said Doc.

"All passengers, strap yourselves in," said the pilot. "we are descending into the atmosphere of Tirol."

We all sat on seats in the sitting area and fastened our seat belts. I tried to keep my mind off my upcoming meeting with Gabe's family. I knew that transiting through hyperspace was energy intensive, which was why reflex furnaces were used to power fold drive. A fusion-powered fold drive called the X-82 was tested by the Robotech Research Center about twenty-six years ago, but it consumed a huge tank of hydrogen, just to travel four light years with an eighteen-hour external transit time. I suspected that the Tiroleans of Zor's time used ships very similar to the X-82, until Zor figured out how to refine protoculture .

I heard a thud and felt a jolt.

"We have landed at Joint Forces Base Tirol.

We all went through a corridor and out through one of the doors. We descended a moveable staircase. I went last, after Doc and Laureline. I watched as they set foot on the tarmac- the moon, before I did so myself. I felt the pressure as my left foot contacted the ground of the moon Tirol.

Laureline took a deep breath. "I am breathing the atmosphere of another world," she said.

"I felt the same way when I first got here," I said. "My dad must have felt the same way the first time he set foot on Glorie."

I looked around. I could see the hangars in the distance. A Humvee drove by in the distance. I could feel the warm air.

Above us- or should I say below us?- was a huge orange-brown sphere. That was Planet Fantoma, visible on this side of Tirol.

"Let's go to the terminal offices," I said. "there should be some concierge services."

Oooooooooo

This was it.

Laureline, Doc, and I were riding in a United Nations Space Marine staff car, an olive green Toyota Avalon Hover Model. Also in the car are two Space Marines in class "C" dress blue uniforms.

I had made contact with a public relations officer on base, a first lieutenant only a few years older than me. I told her about myself and about Gabe. She believed me, no doubt to my identity being verified as that of a Trans Galactic privateer believed lost nearly two years ago.

I looked at the scenery as the car went down the roads. Both hover and wheeled vehicles traveled the street. There were shopping centers every few blocks.

It was amazing what was accomplished in just sixteen years. When the Robotech Masters left, the inhabitants fought each other in brutal conflicts both over land and over dwindling supplies of protoculture. Nine years of brutal, bloody conflict was ended by the invasion of the Invid Regency, twenty-two years ago.

They were so much like us.

They were so much like the scalies.

They were so much like the Invid.

We were driving down this wide street, lined with single-family homes. The homes had really large front yards. I saw a man walking his dog for the sunset walk.

The car stopped.

"This is Command Sergeant Major Gashtar's address," said the driver, a corporal.

I looked at the house. It was single-level like all the houses, and had the large front lawn. I saw a driveway with a car parked on it.

I was shaking. My heart was racing. I could feel myself sweat.

This should be a happy occasion.

Gabe should be here, to introduce me to his family!

"We're with you," said Laureline.

I did not want to do this!

But this was the right thing to do.

I stepped out of the car with the two Space Marines. An orange cat in the front yard glances at us, and then ran off to the right. My heart was racing as I walked along the concrete walkway to the front door. I stepped onto the front porch.

The door opened, and I saw a dark-haired boy wearing a blue T-shirt and shorts. He had a purplish tint in his black hair.

"Mom!" he yelled. "Some Space Marines and this girl are here!"

Then a woman appeared. She looked to be in her late forties. She had black hair and olive-complected skin. She wore a simple dress.

"Are you Mrs. Gashtar?" asked the sergeant.

"Yes," she replied. "I am Rosa Gashtar."

"Mrs. Gashtar," I said, "I have to..inform you, that your son, Second Lieutenant Gabriel Gahstar, fell in combat with the Invid Regency."

I then heard a wail.

I hugged Gabe's mom, becoming her support for these few seconds.

I glanced through my teary eyes, and saw the boy- who must have been Gabe's little brother Javier- with a blank expression on his face, standing still.

Doc and Laureline introduced themselves.

Rosa Gashtar wiped a tear off her face. "Why not at least stay for a while?" she asked.

"We could take you back to base now if you want," said the Space Marine sergeant.

We all declined.

"We'll head back to base," said the sergeant. And so they did.

Oooooooo

We ate pizza in the dining room, orddred from this place called Pappy's, with Petit cola and beer to wash it down. Rosa Gashtar was very understandably in no condition to cook.

"So you traveled with Gabe," she said.

"Yes," said Laureline. "Ever since he crashed landed in the Seregenti in Africa."

"I joined up later when Gabe and the two ladies here arrived in Lake Kyoga," said Doc. "that's on the Nile, north of the Serengeti."

"I can not believe it," said Mrs. Gashtar. I am going to have to tell Walera and Tony and Kori."

"Hi, I'm Javier," said the boy sitting with us. "Gabe's brother."

"Good to meet you," I said.

"Can you tell us anything more?" asked Doc.

"Not much. I remember when Walera asked me to meet him here at home. He told me that he got news that Gabe was still alive and on Earth with our forces there. He was excited. Tony and Kori their own families came here too. Walera was given leave of five days to celebrate this, before he was deployed again. And now, this. Walera must have known. They must have told him. He's probably scheduled for the next transport here."

"I don't know," said Javier. "So many people died in that battle on Earth. The military must be overwhelmed."

"Maybe there's a way to contact your husband," said Laureline. "Or at least his commanding officer. He might not have been informed, and he might want to hear it from you. Where is he now? On base?"

"No," said Javier. "My dad's on the SDF-3 _Pioneer_. He was assigned as the Marine detachment's command sergeant major maybe the end of April."

"There must be a way to tell him," said Doc.

"There is. The computer in the living room. I'll access the web site and try to open a channel to the SDF-3. I've actually spoken to Dad once, maybe last month. "

"There's no guarantee, Javier," said his mom.

"It will take a minute at most."

We went to the living room. There was a desk at the end of a wall, and a personal desktop computer. Javier opened an Internet browser.

"This program allows us to contact any ship in the fleet," said Javier.

I noticed Rosa Gashtar standing behind us.

A message appeared on the screen.

SDF-3 _PIONEER_ UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMUNICATION AT THIS TIME.

No!

What if?

Gabe's family suffered so much already.

It would be so unfair.

I looked and Javier was on another web page. He was looking at a list.

It was titled SHIPS CONFIRMED DESTROYED.

"SDF-3's not listed," said Gabe's brother. "It must be on an important mission. It might even be looking for the Invid."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I should expect military ships to have frequent occasion to restrict communications.

But then there was another worry.

What happens when we find the Invid, and the UEF decides to attack the Invid before giving an ultimatum for unconditional surrender?

Would Itzak be killed?

The thought of Command Sergeant Major Walera Gashtar participating in the battle that killed Itzak would be heartbreaking.

"Walera is probably doing his best to ensure that the crew, officers, and Space Marines on that ship will get to go home to their families," said Mrs. Gashtar. "I can't say much more. How about some pictures?"

I went to the fireplace. I saw a picture of Gabe in his dress blues, a third lieutenant at the time.

I then looked at a picture of another man, also in dress blues. He had the same jawline as Gabe, with pale skin, close-cropped purple hair, and plenty of medals, including the Medal of Honor. That was obviously Gabe's dad, Walera Gashtar. Another picture, obviously an older picture, with the Gashtar parents dressed in fine civilian clothes, a boy about twelve, a girl about ten, a boy about six, and a baby. The six-year-old boy must have been Gabe, and the baby was Javier.

"Walera looked as good in a suit as he did in dress blues," said Rosa Gashtar. "That boy was our first, Antonio. The girl with the purple hair is Koriya. Tony and Kori are grown up now, of course. There is of course Gabriel and little Javier."

"Maybe you can read this," said Javier. He had a huge album. "Most of our pics are in the computer or in the Hyper Cloud, but we made print copies for the most important ones."

I looked at the album and saw the pictures.

There were pictures of Gabe as a baby.

There was a picture of Gabe, about seven years old, wearing a shirt with the number 85, and holding a basketball.

I saw pictures of Gabe was transitioning from boy to man.

Another picture of Gabe, still not quite a man yet, wearing a red gown and cap.

There was Gabe is a gray uniform, which was the uniform of the United Nations Aerospace Academy on Planet Glorie. Another picture of Gabe, in that same uniform, holding a baby, with the caption "David with his Uncle Gabe". There was another picture of Gabe, wearing a sweater, looking much as he did as I remembered him, holding a baby girl. The photo was captioned "Sarah and Uncle Gabe".

I saw a picture of Command Sergeant Major Walera Gashtar, in full dress blues, saluting his newly commissioned son, also in full dress blues. There was another picture of them posing together in their dress blues.

"Gabe was the only one of the kids who joined the military," said Mrs. Gashtar.

"Well, for me that's still up in the air," replied Javier.

I glanced at more pictures. I saw a more recent picture of Tony Gashtar. He was wearing a blue-collared shirt. Black hair covered his scalp and a short purple beard grew from his chin. There was a picture of Kori, with her shoulder length purple hair; it looked like it was taken when she was the age I was when I was first stranded on Earth. I saw more pictures, including wedding pictures of Tony and Kori with their respective partners. I saw pictures of Gabe in a suit, attending those weddings.

The end of the album was empty, so I turned the pages backwards to read the most recent entries.

There were some pictures of a baby girl, including one wearing a purple bow tie on her head.

"Our newest grandchild, Olivia," said Rosa Gashtar. "She's Tony's daughter, a year old now. She will never meet her uncle."

"I remember that time," said Javier. "I was at school, and was called to the principal's office. I thought I got into some sort of trouble. The principal told me it was a family emergency. I pedaled my bike all the way home. Mom and Dad were there and told me Gabe was missing after the 21st Mars Fleet tried to take back Earth. For two days I cried. And then just four months ago, Dad told us Gabe sent him a message from Earth. He was stuck there, but alive. I was waiting for him to come home. And now.."

"I know what it's like to lose a brother," said Laureline.

"What about your family?" asked Mrs. Gashtar.

"I haven't contacted them yet," I replied.

"Why?"

"They would insist I get on the next transport to Glorie. I needed to come here first, to tell you what happened to Gabe."

"That..that was good. It's late. Are you leaving soon?"

"Tomorrow morning," I said. "I have an arrangement with my employer."

"You three can sleep here; I can set up cots. I can drive you to the base tomorrow morning. I frequently go there to shop at the commissary for groceries."

"They have cheap movies on base," said Javier.

Oooooooo

We woke up the next morning and got hastily dressed. Rosa Gashtar got out, wearing trousers and a sleeveless blouse.

"You all ready?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Laureline, yawning.

I picked up a phone and dialed the Trans Galactic terminal's telephone number. I told the people that we would be here shortly.

"We'll use the Lexus," said Mrs. Gashtar. "It's in the driveway."

"Goodbye," said Javier Gashtar, dressed in pajamas, his hair unkempt.

We went out. The sky was purplish and pink; it was maybe a minute or so after sunrise. I looked and saw a black Lexus parked in the driveway. We all got in, and I sat in the front seat.

Gabe's mom started the car, backed out of the driveway, and then drove down the street. Soon we were on the main road. There were some vehicles; no doubt the drivers were heading to work.

"What do you do?" I asked.

"I am a part-time teacher at a community college," replied Rosa Gashtar. "Though now I requested bereavement. I did talk to Tony and Kori, they should be arriving later today."

"You'll need this time together."

Mrs. Gashtar made a left turn at a traffic signal and we reached the main gate of Joint Forces Air Field Tirol.

Or rather, we were about ten meters short of the main gate.

"Something's wrong," said Gabe's mom.

"Maybe there is some sort of security drill," said Doc.

It took maybe ten minutes to reach the main gate. I could see signs telling us all vehicles and persons may be searched, and another sign telling us we were entering United Earth Government jurisdiction.

A guard, wearing the CVR-03 armor, went out to greet us.

"Phil," said Rosa Gashtar, who apparently knew the guard on a first-name basis. "What is going on?"

"Don't know, Mrs. Gashtar," replied Phil. "I have orders to search every vehicle, every person."

A whole squad of Space Marine military police, clad in the same type of armor as Phil, went out to greet us. They patted us with these batons. We had to empty all pockets. I looked and the Lexus is being thoroughly searched.

"Clear!" yelled Phil.

We got back into the car, and Mrs. Gashtar drove through. We navigated the streets of the base; I noticed that there were troops in full gear stationed at some of the corners.

"They never had security on the base this tight," said Gabe's mom.

It was a few minutes before we reached the Trans Galactic terminal. Laureline, Doc, and I got out of the Lexus.

"Thank you for your hospitality," I said to Rosa Gashtar as she sat in the driver's seat. "Take care."

"You are welcome," she replied.

Our ship was still here, parked on the tarmac.

"Ready for your final trip?" said the pilot. "Security's real tight so it may be a while before we take off."

"Sure," I said.

We went back up the moveable stairs and sat down in the passenger cabin.

It was maybe two hours before we lifted off.

Then we folded into hyperspace, on a course to Planet Glorie.


	49. Santoso Island

Rain.

That was what first greeted me when I stepped out of the transport ship.

Rain.

Rain from rainclouds.

Rain from the sky of Planet Glorie.

The planet on which I was born.

I walked down, and felt as my left foot pressed against the surface of my home planet.

I let the rain wash me.

"How about we go somewhere dry?" asked Laureline.

And so we did.

Ooooooooo

The Trans Galactic offices at this spaceport was able to make the necessary arrangements. Our bikes and gear would be transported by truck, as would we ourselves.

We got into the truck and it rumbled as it drove out of the spaceports and onto the roads.

"Your friend Rebecca really pulled through for us," said Doc.

"Yeah," I replied.

It was a few minutes later that we reached the dock. It looked like a typical dock, with piers and boats and jetties and support buildings. I watched as the truck was loaded onto a hover ferry.

Very few people actually used hover ferries to transport vehicles to the island. Most vehicles that used the hover ferry were delivery vehicles. We all got inside the hover ferry.

There was not much scenery, as it was raining heavily.

"It does not rain like this all the time, does it?" asked Doc.

"Only during this season," I said.

"On Earth, the seasons matched the calendar," said Laureline.

I nodded. In order to have an interstellar civilization, there had to be a common calendar, despite the rotational periods of planets or their revolutions around their suns.

Eventually, we reached the dock. We all stepped out.

Here I was.

Back on Santoso Island.

It has been nearly two years.

How was this even possible?

I could recognize structures like the ticket booth and the fast food stands and the gift shops.

In the distance I could see the Seafood on the Bay restaurant.

We got back into the truck and waited,. I hoped the truck driver did not get lost in the back roads of the island.

My heart was racing in anticipation.

"We're here," said the driver.

I stepped out of the truck. I looked at the barbed wire fence. In the distasnce I saw this one-level house.

My family house.

I got back in and the driver drove the truck along the driveway. It stopped maybe about five meters from the house.

I stepped out again.

My mom and dad called out my name.

I went to hug them.

I felt this warmth despite the pouring rain.

I was home.

I could not believe it.

I was home.

"Come on in," said Mom.

And so we all did.

"I am Laureline," said Laureline.

"I am Alazar Aboudi," said Doc.

I looked into the living room. It looked pretty much the same, with leather couches and a coffee table and a television along the wall. There was a desktop computer in the corner. I could hear the rain.

"So you two are from Earth?" asked Dad.

"Yes," they replied.

"Well, we have something in common. I am from Earth as well."

Doc turned on the TV. There was some old movie from ten years ago playing.

"I am making some chopped steak," said Mom.

"That's good," I said.

"Listen," said Dad, "I spoke to the Trio and made reservations for the seafood brunch tomorrow at the restaurant. Why don't you call Chelsea and invite her?"

"Sure," I said.

"I'd better give you their phone number."

I dialed the number and picked up the handset. My heart was racing.

"Hello?" asked a little girls voice.

"Is your mom there?" I asked.

I could feel every heartbeat.

"Hello?" asked a voice I had not heard in nearly two years.

I told her my name.

She exclaimed my name. "It's…it's really you. I mean..I remembered when I heard you sent a message from Earth…but you're here! On Glorie! At the farm. "

"Good to hear your voice, Chelsea," I said. "Listen, we're having a seafood brunch tomorrow at the restaurant at 10:00."

"Of course. We'll all be there. There's so much catching up to do, so much I have to show you."

"See you tomorrow."

I hung up the phone.

"Dinner's ready," said Mom.

And so we had dinner, chopped stoeak with mushrooms and this wine sauce. Red wine was poured in generous amounts. I looked at the date and noted it was first bottled the year I was born. I savored every bite of the chopped steak, every sip of wine.

Doc and Laureline and I briefly described our experiences on Earth.

"So you went all the way from Africa to Reflex Point on land?" asked Mom.

"Well, we went from Africa to the east coast of Asia by land mostly," I said. "I joined up with a veritech squadron in Japan and then traveled by sub to North America, and then flew to the base near Reflex Point."

There were details we left out, such as Gabe and Itzak. I was not ready to tell Mom and Dad about them.

"Then I propose a toast," said Dad. We all poured another glass of wine. "To all who fell in liberating Earth."

We all toasted in memory of them.

"So many were lost," I said, bowing my head.

"What about you?" Laureline asked Dad.

"Where to begin," he said. I was a kid on a flight. We landed in Macross City and I got out at the airport to wait for the connecting flight. That was when the Zentraedi attacked. I was evacuated to the shelter, and the space fold took us to Pluto's orbit.

During the long journey back, the SDF-1 _Macross_ needed pilots, so I enlisted in the U.N. Spacy. I became a Valk pilot, assigned to Skull Squadron. I have more than my fair share of battles with the Zentraedi. I suppose I should be thankful that I had all the comforts of civilization inside the ship."

"We did not always have the comforts of civilization in our journey," said Doc.

"I was in the service for a few years after the war. We got married at that time, and had a little girl named Chelsea, born at the U.N. Spacy Hospital in Brazil. Then I heard about a colonization mission to Planet Glorie. I left the service as a lieutenant commander and my little family and I went to Planet Glorie. I chose a land grant here, on Santoso Island."

"And I was born four years later," I said.

"So you gave up military service for a peaceful life," said Laureline.

"I did my share for humanity," said Dad.

"I suppose we were lucky that we went here, instead of staying on Earth," said Mom.

"There were no guarantees," I said. "The Invid Regency could have attacked Glorie at any time. Likely they would have come here if the Earth Fleet did not destroy the Invid Fleet. "

"And we should be grateful for the sacrifices of those killed making that happen. Never forget."

None of us could disagree with Dad this time. I have had more than my share of disagreements six to ten years ago…

"I remember when Trans Galactic sent us that letter," said Mom. "her ship went missing. We kept calling, checking the Internet for any clue. To accept that our daughter was gone would have been too much. It was one and a half years before that pilot, what was his name?"

"Alex Romero," I said.

"He came here in uniform, with a message from our baby girl. That she was on Earth, doing all right. And now here she is."

Our dinner was finished. There was not much to do, in this rainy night, except watch television or play video games.

I did see something on the news.

"The United Nations has confirmed the destruction of Space Station Liberty," said a reporter. "Space Station Liberty was destroyed in an act of war."

Space Station Liberty? That was a major UEF supply depot and repair bay, second only to the Robotech Factory Satellite. Did the Invid Regency strike?

What about Itzak? Would the Regess have decided to silence him forever?

The scene shifted to a press conference room, and the Chairman of the Plenipotentiary Council took the podium.

"All humanity," he said. "It is with deepest sorrow to inform you that Space Station Liberty was destroyed in an enemy attack. We have yet to identify the enemy. We must have a moment of silence for those who fell defending Space Station Liberty."

There was silence.

"All United Earth Forces are on high alert," continued the chairman.

"Your Excellency," asked a reporter, "is the Invid Regency behind this?"

"Our intel suggests that the Invid Regency was not behind the attack," he replied. "We do have some scout ships still searching for the Invid, but the bulk of our forces are concentrating on this new threat."

"What of the Sentinels Alliance?" asked another reporter. "Will they help us?"

"Supreme Allied Commander Veidt did inform my office that the Alliance will assist in dealing with this unknown foe. He has since returned to Haydon IV to no doubt meet with the Awareness on this issue. If you will excuse me, I must meet with Supreme Command."

The scene moved to a nightscape. A reporter was out in the rain, wearing a raincoat.

"I am out here at the National Guard armory near Heelshire," said the reporter. "As you can see, the Glorie National Guard is on high alert due to the attack on Space Station Liberty."

Behind her, I could see troops bearing rifles, and an armored transport.

I looked online for any other articles related to the attack, most of them merely reiterating what I heard in that news broadcast.

There was a site that claimed to have images of the enemy ships that destroyed Liberty.

Those ships.

They were just like the ships in my dream!

Were the Children of the Shadow attacking us?

Why?

If anything, they should be going after the Invid!

I was hoping the Invid- and Itzak- would stay hidden.

I suspected the Shadow would destroy them if they knew where the Invid were.

I went to my room, and unpacked my belongings that I had brought all the way from Earth. I took out a piece of yellow fabric.

The dress.

The dress that I wore in my last dance with Gabe.

The dress that I tore in grief and rage after Gabe was killed.

I somehow managed to reach the barn, despite the rain. I was also there with a bottle that was mosltly alcohol.

I realized how alien this place was.

This was my home, and yet it felt so alien!

What happened?

I shouldn't feel this way.

I do not know how long I was out here. The only noise was the rain.

The noise was interrupted by my dad.

"What are you doing out there?" he asked.

"Dad?"

"What's wrong?"

"I…I feel…out of place here. When I was traveling, I often had to be on guard duty at night; there were only five of us. I was on alert in case an Invid patrol decided to attack us."

"Adjusting back to civilian life, after years of combat, it…it is hard. I still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes, fearing a Zentraedi attack, even though many Zentraedi live as civilians in the Commonwealth, even on the Island. Som many pilots in our squadron was lost, even our squadron leader." He looked at the dress. "What was that?"

"It's a long story. There.. there was a boy, Gabriel Gashtar."

"He did that?"

"No….it's…well, he was a veritech pilot for the Space Marines. He was in that battle over Earth almost two years ago. He survived, and crash landed in a barn in Africa. That was how I met him."

"Continue."

Luareline and I joined up with him, and we joined up with Doc- Alazar Aboudi-0 a month later. I was with him for eighteen months. This dress was what I was wearing when I had my last dance with him in Japan."

"Last dance?"

"There was an Invid attack. He…he…I went out and tore this dress."

So many painful memories surfaced.

Not just of Gabe's death.

For it was in this very barn, on a rainy night like this, where I shot myself in the head six years ago. My poor aim was what saved my life.

I broke down in tears, just like I did after Gabe's last battle.

My dad held me.


	50. Seafood Brunch on the Bay

I woke up early in the morning. I read this huge picture book I found, titled "SCALIES AROUND THE WORLD".

I had traveled across Earth, seen so much variety of places and cultures. This book showed a wide variety of places and cultures on Planet Glorie. I had not even noticed this book here before.

I saw pictures of the hunter-gatherer tribes that lived in the lands adjacent to the Commonwealth.

There were pictures of Tulahayas, with its buildings made of wood or mud, and scalies playing musical instruments, music that rivaled the best human musicians.

There were the Sea Peoples, based on an archipelago, with villages made of straw buildings, Their merchant sailors sailed the oceans, visiting ports as far as six thousand klicks away. Manty of their ships stop at ports in the Commonwealth.

There was the Relainna, nomadic herders whose chariots made them masters of a grassland four thousand klicks wide and three thousand klicks long. While I was not an expert in history,I did recall the Relainna were the first scalies seen by humans from Earth, nearly a decade before I was born.

And then, of course, was the mighty kingdom of Yar-K'naath, which was the undisputed master of a river basin. Four million scalies, living in various places from rural hamlets of hundreds to mighty walled cities of stone and brick, with tens of thousands of residents each. I saw pictures of barges sailing along the river, transporting people and goods. The King-Emperor was the wealthiest, most powerful scalie on the planet, living in a palace of marble.

"Time to go," said Dad. "The van should be here shortly."

"We're not taking the truck?" I asked.

"Bottomless mimosas, my dear," answered Mom.

We went out of the house. I had a better view, now that the rain stopped and the clouds covered much opf the sky, with some blue peeking through. I can see the red barn and the storage sheds. The gravel beneath my feet made this wet crunch as I walked along the driveway. I could see many mud puddles opn the ground. In the distance were hills.

"At least the rain will be good for the crops," said Laureline.

Dad showed pride in his face. Farming was not Mom and Dad's only source of income; they owned several rental properties on the mainland. But they were proud farmers ever since first settling in the Commonwealth.

We went out of the driveway and onto the graveled road. I looked across and saw more farms. I could see tall wooden utility poles holding wires up, just as they had done all my life.

We could see the blue van coming from nearly a klick away. I heard the crunching of gravel as it came to a stop. All of us got into the van.

"So you want to go to the Village," said the man.

"Yes," Dad replied.

We were on our way. I could see many familiar sights. I saw more windmills and barns and farm houses. Crops like corn and wheat were grown. I could see the ocean ahead, as well as the Village itself, looking like buildings arranged in a modified grid. The giant water tower overlooking the Village was still there.

We reached the pavement, and was passing right by the single-family homes at the outskirts of the Village. Less than a minute later, we were at the business district of the village, with its shops and restaurants and bars and offices. I did not hang out here much, especially because I went to Tirol to go to the Aerospace Academy there after getting my diploma.

We were dropped off. I looked and saw a building right by the bay.

That was the Seafood By the Bay restaurant.

We went in through the glass door. At the wooden host stand was this girl, maybe fifteen years old.

"Welcome to the Seafood By the Bay," she said. "We have the special Seafood Brunch Buffet on the Bay.

Dad mentioned the party's name.

"Let's go," she said. She led us through the restaurant. I could see booths and tables, with people sitting there. There were more people sitting at a bar. I saw a scalie, wearing a white-collared shirt with four sleeves, a black bowtie, and black trousers, sweeping the floor with the two upper arms.

I had not seen a live scalie in years. I knew a few hundred of them lived on the Commonwealth, and a few hundred immigrated to Tirol, mostly settling in the once and current capital Tiresia.

We were led to this room. It was a large room, with a white tablecloth covering the main table. This was a special banquet room for parties. I was grateful Dad was able to book this room for brunch the next day. I guess it would have been harder to book during the warm season, when the Village's population swelled by thousands due to rich people from the mainland coming here and staying in the vacation homes adjacent to the beach. The banquet room had a great view of the strait separating the Island from the mainland, and at the horizon I could see the mainland with the cities along the coast.

Then I saw her.

My older sister, Chelsea.

We greeted each other with hugs.

"I thought I'd never see you again," she said.

"Me too."

"Great to see you back," said this man.

I looked at him. He had blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin. He wore a sweater and slacks.

He was Leon Redfield, Chelsea's husband. I briefly recalled the wedding. That was six years ago! It was so hard to believe.

"Good to see you too, Leon," I said.

And then I looked at a little girl, four years old, just a meter tall, wearing green overalls and a little white blouse.

"Hi, Auntie," she said.

"Good to see you, Kelly," I replied.

"There's someone else we'd like you to meet," said Chelsea.

She went to Dad and took something.

Or someone.

That was a baby, wearing baby clothes.

"His name's Liam," said Cjhelsea. "Our son and your nephew."

I held my nephew. "When was he born?"

"Six months ago. When you told us that Dad reserved a room for the Seafood brunch, we decided we'd introduce you then."

I heard a click, and Mom take a picture.

"We'll put this in the paper album," she said.

I handed baby Liam back to Chelsea.

"Would you have named him after me if he was a girl?" I asked.

"Maybe the middle name," answered Leon.

"Oh, uh, hi," I heard.

That voice sounded familiar. I looked and saw a woman with chestnut-brown hair. She wore the white collared shirt, black bowtie, and black skirt that a waitress would wear.

"Hi, Judith," I said.

"Good to see you back," she replied. "I remember when I read about you getting lost in space. I did send a card."

"I suppose I should thank you."

"May I take your order for drinks?"

"Water. And an orange mimosa."

"It's you," I heard.

I turned and saw three men in suits. One ofg them had black hair, another was this huge man with reddish brown hair, and one of them had purple hair tied in a ponytail.

They were Konda, Rico, and Bron.

The Trio! Longtime friends of the family.

And the owners of the Seafood By the Bay restaurant.

"Good to see you all," I said.

"Your dad sounded so happy when he told us you returned," said Bron.

"Your parents had a somber memorial service a few weeks after you went missing," said Konda.

"It was sad," replied Rico.

"I've taken everyone's order," Judith said to her bosses. "I'll bring it to the kitchen."

"Go ahead," said Bron.

While I was not a history expert, I did know that the Trio had changed the course of the First Robotech War, over thirty years ago.

They were Zentraedi intelligence analysts. They were micronized and snuck aboard the SDF-1 _Macross_ to learn more about humanity and help their superiors capture the ship. But they found themselves in love with human culture. After reporting to their superiors, they hatched a plan to sneak aboard the ship and defect.

But they were not the only ones to do so. Twelve others defected.

And one of them was Walera Gashtar, Gabe's father.

While some of the defectors like Gabe's dad enlisted in the United Earth Forces, the Trio chose to fully embrace civilian life. They were among the original colonists of Glorie, and they decided to settle on Santoso Island for a peaceful life.

And life turned out more or less great for them. They had opened this restaurant maybe thirteen years ago, now. Our family became regulars, eating there at least once a month.

It was time for us to get food. There were all sorts of food. I went out and got my first serving, which was fried eggs I ordered from an egg station, where the eggs were fried in this skillet, some bacon and sausage and hash browns. I sat at the table for my first course.

"I hope you can excuse us if service is slow," said Rico. "Half of our servers are either in the Reserves, Coast Guard, or National Guard, and they were called to active duty."

"Yeah, I'll be going to work later this afternoon for some heavy catching up," Leon. "A third of our workforce had to report to the military. My brother is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve, he was among those called to active duty."

"Where did he go?" asked Mom.

"The SDF-3 _Pioneer_. That is the flagship for Expeditionary Command, so he was assigned to the command staff."

Leon's family was complicated. What from I heard, he had five siblings, three of them with children of their own. In addition to that, his parents had divorced twenty years ago, and they each were remarried. His stepparents currently had children and grandchildren of their own.

No wonder Chelsea had trouble remembering how many nieces and nephews she had!

"Have you heard from him?" I asked Leon.

"No, but I'm not surprised. With Expeditionary Command still trying to look for the Invid and now with this new enemy, communications would be restricted."

I finished the eggs, bacon, and hash browns, and decided to go out for bagels and smoked salmon.

I could hear music.

I looked at the grand piano sitting in the corner, and behind it was this dark-0skinned man who appeared to be a bit older than Chelsea. He was wearing a suit. Pinned to his suit was a Purple Heart.

He was the Piano Man, Bowie Grant.

"Hi there," I said.

"Oh, so you managed to survive," he said. "I remember when I heard you went missing. Even played for your family when they held that memorial service."

"Yeah," I replied. "Good to hear your music again. I'd better get some more brunch."

"Take care."

I did know a little about Piano Man. He had been in the Army and was stationed on Earth about fifteen years ago. He fought against the Robotech Masters in a VHT-1 Spartas hovertank. After the Invid Invasion and the Evacuation of Earth, he was discharged from the Army as a sergeant and settled in the Commonwealth. He lived on the mainland, but often comes here to this restaurant to play the piano for us drinkers and diners.

I went back to the banquet room and ate more food with my family. I had so much catching up to do. Laureline and Doc were telling Chelsea, Leon, Kelly, and Liam about their travels on Earth, all the things they've done.

After I while, I went out to get more food. There were so many options- fried sole, lobster mac-and-cheese, salmon, prime rib with horse-radish sauce, chicken-fried steak, fried shrimp with cocktail sauce, a pasta bar, a taco bar, corned beef, pancakes, waffles, various salads and soups. The only thing available in limited supply were lobster tails; only one per customer for the seafood brunch, though additional tails could be purchased for $17.99.

Some of this food may have origins in the crops grown on my family's farm.

"You're here," said this voice. "I never thought I'd see you again."

I looked and saw a young man my age with green-tinted black hair.

That was Kaifun!

"You're here," I said.

"I work the graveyard shift," he replied. "I figured I'd treat us to brunch."

I saw a woman next to him. Dark skin, long, straight back hair, her body covered in a long dress.

She was holding a little boy, maybe two or three, and there was a pregnant belly showing through the dress.

"I am Anika," she said. "Kaifun's wife."

I introduced myself. "We knew each other since we were children," I said.

"I am sure you shaped Kaifun into the man who became my husband, the father to my son, and another baby on the way."

"I'm glad things are going great for you," I said.

"My dad died," said Kaifun.

"How?"

"He…he was murdered by a renegade general last year."

"I'm sorry."

"Why not visit the grave?" said Anika. "He was buried on his farm. He once said this farm will be where his bones would be laid. Now it's true."

Kaifun and his wife and son left.

"Hi there," said Judith.

"Are you not working?" I asked.

"I'm on break. I need to say this, because I might not get a chance to do so again. What I did to you was horribly wrong. Being jealous that Kaifun liked you was not justification. I violated your privacy, I exposed you to the whole galaxy! I can't believe what a horrible girl I was."

"And you should never forget that," I said. "But you should also never forget that the choices you make will decide what kind of woman you will be. What kind of woman will you be?"

"I want to be good. The worst thing was that I was your friend. What I did put an end to that."

"Well, things can't go back the way they were, but at least we can make peace."

I turned around to walk to the serving tables, and then turned back.

"I met Rebecca," I said.

"Where?" she asked.

"Moon Base ALuCE. She works for my company. She's Senior Operations Coordinator."

"Great!" Judith replied. "I haven't seen Rebecca in so long, not since her birthday party on the mainland. She certainly got far."

"And she could not have gotten far if she was the same kind of girl she was six years ago."

"I'd better check on my customers, especially your family."

Judith then went back to work.

I continued brunch. It was great times, but then we had to leave.

"Take care," said Chelsea.

"Nice to meet you all," said Laureline.

Oooooooooo

I did have a nice nap due to all the mimosas I had

There was one more thing to do.

I went to Kaifun's family farm. It looked the same as before, with the main house and barn and garage and storage sheds, though there was a new storage shed built since the last time I was here. I said hi to his mom, a green-haired lady, a micronized Zentraedi of the Parino clone line. Kaifun and Anika and their son watched, as did a scalie who had been the family's aide-de-camp as long as I can remember. The sun was near the horizon, close to setting

I recalled Kaifun's father, a man with black hair tied in a ponytail, a black beard. He invited me to his home for dinner more than once. He even visited me in the hospital after my suicide attempt. There were times he and his family sat with mine in this very restaurant. He was one of the original colonists, and was also in the Space Marine Reserve, even fighting in the Evacuation of Earth. He treated the scalies like people, which was something I unfortunately could not say about all the humans living in the Commonwealth. A man who wanted peace, and yet, willing to fight to defend his family, friends, and neighbors.

Willing to fight to defend his values.

I took one last look at the grave of Lynn Kyle.


	51. Shadow Rising

"Here we are," I said. "One more step to normalcy."

We had traveled all the way from the Island, going to the docks in Primopolis, then hiring a driver to get us here. We took in the sights of Primopolis, the bustling streets filled with card doing the early-morning commute, looking at the shops and houses along the way. The buildings got shorter the further we got away from downtown Primopolis.

"This was literally the first city built by people from Earth on another celestial body with a breathable atmosphere," I said. "It grew considerably, especially after all those evacuees from Earth settled here thirteen years ago. There's so much I want to show you."

"But you want to go to work," said Laureline.

"I can't just sit around the house all day."

"I know," said Doc. "as I told your father, I did not want to just live in the house like a child. I'm not that sort of person. That sort of person would never have been accepted as a Special Forces combat medic."

It took a while before we reached the spaceport at the edge of Primopolis. Already, a fusion-powered shuttle was landing on the tarmac, no doubt to deliver goods manufactured from the space factories in orbit.

We managed to reach the corporate headquarters of Trans Galactic. It was a large building. It made sense for corporate headquarters to be right here, though there were some adjunct offices downtown.

We opened the glass doors and entered the main lobby. It was huge, two stories tall. There were many chairs and tables. Various magazines, mostly relating to business or aerospace, lay on the tables.

We went to the reception window. I introduced myself.

The kid on the other side of the window looked at me. I had to place my hand on a scanner; I figured my fingerpint scans should still be on file, considering it had only been two years.

"The manager said that you would have two companions with you," said the kid. "Are they the ones?"

"Yes."

"I read about your story. It was like a legend."

"We don't pay you to talk about stories," said another voice from behind a window.

"I'd better buzz you right in now," he said.

A young lady in a suit went out to greet us. She looked even younger than me. She had red hair tied in a ponytail. I noticed the employee ID badge pinned to her coat.

"Follow me, please," I said.

And so I did. I passed some cubicles where the office staff did work that was essential for the corporate fleet to function. Our ships would grind to a halt- or rather, a freefall trajectory- without these people being able to coordinate the shipment of supplies, fuel, and money. I heard a vacuum cleaner; I saw that a scalie wearing blue overalls was vacuuming the floor.

We were led into this conference room. There were people in suits. Max Sterling sat at the end of the table.

"Welcome," he said. "There is going to be important business under discussion, but I am willing to take the time to deal with your requests."

"I take it you had a happy reunion with your son," I said.

"Yes, it was happy news amid these troubled times," replied the admiral. I could see tiredness and exhaustion in his face. This did not surprise me, as the U.N. was demanding more services from Trans Galactic. "Your request."

"I would like to return to duty, sir. I want a sense of normalcy. A routine schedule might help me."

"As I understand, what a privateer does is far from routine.."

"I am a licensed third assistant engineer," I said. "Unlimited tonnage. I can be useful in one of the cargo ships. The primary reason I am here is to request you hire my companions. They helped me survive on Earth."

"I did fight the Invid," said Laureline.

"Not only did I fight the Invid and the Robotech Masters," said Doc, "I treated the wounded on the battlefield. I was a Special Forces combat medic in the Air Force."

"People with skills similar to yours did save my son's life more than once," said Sterling. "I can request your military record from the Air Force. I and many of my staff have military connections. Are you legally permitted to work here?"

"We only have a visitor's visa," said Laureline.

"Legal can certainly expedite the process of getting you a work visa, maybe even legal residency," said a big-nosed bald man in a black suit. "I can get my own staff working on it right away if the admiral has no objection."

"Do it, Feinberg," said the admiral.

"Yes, sir."

"There is one more thing I should add," said Sterling. "The Plenipotentiary Council has revoked our Letter of Marque and Reprisal against the Invid Regency, effective today. All Letters have been revoked, not just ours, and all Earth Forces are ordered not to attack the Invid unless they attack first."

"That's interesting. I mean, I know the company made quite a bit of profit from hunting Invid, but if this means we have peace with the Invid."

"I made sure to publish the announcement as soon as we received the notice," said the admiral. "Can't have my employees conduct insider trading, you know. There's no word on whether we will receive a new Letter against this new enemy that destroyed Space Station Liberty."

"The Children of the Shadow," I said.

"What?" asked Sterling. "You know who they are?"

"That was what the Invid called them. You see, I was exposed to the Spores…"

"I personally have heard from others talking about visions they had after exposure to the Spores," said the admiral. "Visions of sisters they never met. Anyway, this is beyond the scope of our meeting here. You are on call; I do not expect it will be long before you are deployed to deep space, considering this new war. Legal will help your friends. Thank you for your time. I am a bit jealous, though."

"Jealous?" asked Laureline.

"You get to leave for now. We all still have much to discuss here, and then we have to go right to work. If only Mir…never mind. Please excuse us."

We all left the conference room. We walked along the halls, looking for the exit.

I glanced at a nametag as I passed a private office.

 **Rebecca Westlake**

Senior Operations Coordinator

I went in and saw Rebecca Westlake herself, in a gray suit.

"Good to see you," she said. "How do you like my own private office?"

"It's great," I said. "I hope I am not delaying your work."

"It's okay," she said. "I can spare a minute to talk to a friend."

I looked and it was a typical office, with a desk a chair, a desktop computer and printer. I saw a coffee mug with the caption "I'm #1" stenciled on it.

"I'm on call, you know, and Legal is gonna help my friends get a work permit."

"There's also the pay," said Rebecca. "You've accumulated a lot of pay. Don't spend it all, though."

"How do you like your job?" asked Laureline.

"Interesting work, getting to travel once in a while, and I can't complain about the pay either. Too bad Liberty was destroyed. There was this nightclub there that I liked, when I stayed there for a few days on business about two months ago. Anyway, that boy Marcus called. He told me he does not know when he will have leave, given current events."

"Just be patient," said Doc.

"Listen, we ladies got to get together for a drink or something, or maybe check out the nightclubs."

I still remembered what she did, but it seemed distant now. She was charming.

"Absolutely," I said. "How can I say no?"

Oooooooo

At least my life is creeping towards normalcy.

I was sure Laureline and Doc would be granted legal residency. I would hand-write a letter to our congressman myself if they were denied even a work permit.

There was some news about the evacuees. Some expressed a desire to pack up and move back to their homeland on Earth. Some were serving on active duty in the United Earth Forces, so for them it was not a question of whether they want to go back to Earth, but whether they are ordered to go back to Earth. For most, they spent thirteen years building a life in the Glorie Commonwealth, some even having started families, and that was where they will spend their lives.

The news was mostly about the destruction of Space Station Liberty, and speculation as to who it might be. One talking head suggested it was a long-lost alien race waiting in the wings until the Invid Regency was defeated, so it could swoop in to conquer the galaxy and becomes the new Robotech Masters. That talking head was not too far off the mark.

Mom told me that Third Lieutenant Alex Romero was among those killed in the Battle of Space Station Liberty, finding that out on a web site set up by the United Earth Forces. So many ships lost in just a few hours. The lieutenant had actually been at our house, delivering my message that I was alive and well on Earth.

Would this foe attack the Commonwealth?

Our home?

Who were these Children of the Shadow?

I could only sleep after a few beers.

I was later awakened. There was this noise being played.

I went out to the living room. My dad was already there, wearing pajamas and wielding the shotgun.

"The National Guard military police want to speak with you," said Dad.

"Me? Why?" I asked.

I told them who I was. "What do you want?" I asked.

"There will be Hell to pay if I don't like the answer," said Dad.

"Your dreams. The Regess. The Children of the Shadow," said the voice. "Some U.N. officials want to talk to you at the Joint Forces base. We just want to escort you there and back home safely."

"Dreams?" asked Dad.

"I'll go with them," I answered. "I know what this is about."

ooooo

They used a VTOL transport to take me from the Island directly to Joint Forces Air Field Glorie, where the headquarters for all United Earth Forces providing military assistance to the Glorie Commonwealth was located, among other headquarters. I was escorted into a Toyota police SUV by Space Marine military police and driven elsewhere onto the base.

After a few minutes, I was escorted through some corridors. I went into a conference room with a wooden desk.

"This room is secured," said a military police gunnery sergeant. "Of course, this means there is no cell service inside this room."

"That would be useful to know, if I had my cell phone," I said.

I waited for a while. I kept looking at the clock. Why did they make me wait, if they woke me up at the middle of the night?

I saw some people enter the room. One of them was a man with brown hair and a brown beard, appearing to be in his mid-fifties or so. He was wearing this blue tunic and white trousers. There were ribbons pinned to his tunic, and the sets of two stars of his shoulders revealed him to be a major general.

The other person was a woman with brown hair. She was wearing a gray suit, and there was this medal pinned to it. I noticed a wedding ring with a diamond on her left ring finger. She must have been in her late fifties.

"You must know we want to talk to you about the dreams you had as a result to being exposed to the Spores of the Flower of Life," said the woman. 'I shall introduce myself. I am Lisa Hayes-Hunter, Foreign Relations Advisor to the United Nations Plenipotentiary Council."

"Wait a minute," I said. " _The_ Lisa Hayes, Captain of the _Tokugawa_? Captain when the _Tokugawa_ first reached orbit around Planet Glorie, the first planet found outside Earth's solar system where humans could walk around without spacesuits?"

"That was thirty years ago. I'm not surprised schoolchildren here memorize that."

"I know there's a street in the Village named after you. Probably every city and town in the Commonwealth has a street named after you."

"I suppose I should introduce myself," said the general. "Major General Al Volchek, United Nations Air Force, Director of Intelligence, Joint Staff, United Earth Forces Supreme Command."

"I understand if you are exhausted due to be woken up at this late hour, your time," replied Hayes.

"Yes, I am. You want to talk about my dreams. I discussed this with the Anti-Invid Alliance on Earth. There was this computer, the E.V.E. She…well, it's designed to be a she, I think, recommended that a forensic artist draw pictures of my dreams and the data be sent to Moon base ALuCE. I actually flew a Beta up there to deliver the data. I was informed that the Moon Base received the data."

"Yes," replied Hayes. "From there, it went to Expeditionary Command Headquarters on Tirol. So, to refresh your memory, the Invid called their ancient enemy the Children of the Shadow."

"Yes. From my dreams, they destroyed the original Invid homeworld, which was not Optera."

"I suppose I should replay this recording retrieved from your Beta."

Lisa Hates-Hunter played back an audio tape.

"Orca Twelve to whoever is out there!" I heard myself yell. "Those missiles! Abort the launch! You don't know what you're doing!"

"The missiles looked like then ones in my dream," I said. "And you must know that they looked like the ones in that drawing.

Hayes and Volchek looked at each other.

"We did not develop these missiles until after you sent the message," said Hayes. "We..we took too long to make the connection."

"We nearly destroyed the Earth," said General Volchek.

"We were lucky the Invid destroyed those missiles. If only someone made the connection."

The two of them exchanged glances.

"Yes, they have," said Hayes. "In fact, it was made the evening before the Battle of Reflex Point. The science ship _Deukalion_ was ordered to conduct a field test of the Neutron-S missiles. The SDF-3 _Pioneer_ was to provide backup. If something was amiss, our attacking fleet would be need to be informed right away."

And yet, these missiles were launched anyway, and I doubted that it was because the tests showed nothing wrong.

"What happened?" I asked.

"There was an accident. The ships were damaged. A ship was sent to rescue them, but then the SDF-3 was attacked by the same enemy that destroyed Space Station Liberty. It became missing."

My heart raced. Gabe's dad was on that ship.

"Was…was it destroyed?" I asked.

My heart raced faster.

I had trouble breathing.

I was dreading the answer.

I took upon the heartbreaking duty of informing the Gashtar family that they lost a son.

Now for them to lose a father so soon?

It wouldn't be fair!

It wouldn't be right!

They have suffered too much already!

"We do not think so," said Hayes. "We believed it escaped, but now is lost and unable, for now, to engage in long-range communcations."

"How will we find them?" I asked. "The galaxy is a big place!"

"We already have some scout ships searching the immediate area. But with this new enemy, the destruction of Space Station Liberty, as well as finding where the Invid went…we just have so much to do, and too few ships."

"We need to identify this enemy," I said. "We need to know where they are from!"

Hayes and Volchek exchanged glances again.

"Are you sure?" asked the general.

"Our intel indicates that the Children of the Shadow and Haydon IV are one and the same," said Lisa Hayes-Hunter.

"Haydon IV?" I asked. "They're our allies. They helped us against the Invid!"

"They helped us build the Neutron-S missiles while vastly underestimating their yield. They gave us the Shadow technology which could self-destruct of exposed to a disruptor wave, a wave that neutralized the fleet assigned to defend Space Station Liberty. The tech we relied on to defeat the Invid makes our ships vulnerable to them. And..there was a raid on one of the ships that came to Liberty's aid. It was done by two Haydonites."

"This wasn't in the news. Why are you telling me this?"

"We do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past," said Hayes. "Surely you heard of the SDF-1 Campaign."

"Enough of it," I said. "My dad was a veteran of Skull Squadron."

"The United Earth Government at the time wanted to keep the war with the Zentraedi a secret, to prevent mass panic."

My eyes rolled at that excuse.

"That was why they wanted to exile the _Macross_ ," continued Hayes. "There were seventy thousand people who knew the truth. Admir…well, Captain Gloval would have none of that. He flew the ship around the world, having some reporter broadcast the truth."

"Wow," I said.

"People everywhere started building bomb shelters, and many nations built new bunkers or expanded existing bunkers. Without that, the only survivors of the Zentraedi Holocaust would have been the seventy thousand aboard the ship. Seventy thousand people would not have been able to even keep the ghost of 18th century industrial civilization going."

"Some of those bunkers became bases for Resistance forces." I recalled New Masada in Israel and the tunnel-bunker complex in Vietnam.

"So now you know the truth. But to convince the rest of the Sentinels Alliance."

"What about the dreams?"

"The members of the Sentinels Alliance suffered much at the hands of the Regency," said General Volchek. "They would be skeptical, to say the least, of a human who dreamed to be an Invid. If we were to retaliate against Haydon IV now, the other Sentinels would come to their defense. The Haydonites were the reason they are free from Invid Regency domination!"

"The I must tell you of other dreams. I have some of the memories of the Invid Regess."

And I I briefly summarized the sentencing of that Invid war criminal, the first contact with Tirol, the Zentraedi attack on Optera, the Invid war criminal proclaiming himself as Regent, and the meeting wioth those three Robotech Masters.

"What did they look like?" asked Lisa Hayes-Hunter.

I described them, with pale skin, and aquamarine hair.

"That narrows it down a bit."

I was not an expert in Tirolean history, but I knew that the Robotech Masters remade Tirolean society into a society of clones. There could be hundreds on Tirol alone that looked identical to those three ladies. We could exclude old men, not that it does that much good.

But there was something I remembered.

"The Invid Princess Solzie claimed to have alien allies," I said. "Those three may be her allies, along with the Haydonites."

"We're still deciding what to do with her," said Hayes. "We are going to need our Sentinels allies to fight against the Haydonites, after the losses we suffered. But we need proof. In the meantime, we must find the SDF-3. I spent years of my life on that ship, you know. Some people close to me were on that ship when it went missing."

So many missing people were on that ship, including Gabe's dad.

And what of the Haydonites? The Sentinels owed too much to them to just conclude that they breached the alliance, with only the evidence Lisa Hayes-Hunter told me about.

"I understand."

"Anything else you can say about the Regess?" asked Hayes.

"Her hobby was seeking knowledge about the flower and its connection with the Invid. It was through a bad-boy crush with the Regent-t-be that she became the Regess. I think she was more interesting in unlocking the secrets of protoculture than..well, being a Regess."

Oooooooo

Later that afternoon, I did see a news broadcast. Lisa Hayes-Hunter appeared behind a podium at the Plenipotentiary Council Headquarters on the moon Tirol. A caption identified her as ADM LISA HAYES-HUNTER, UNS (RET.)

"To defeat the Invid Regency, we relied on a technology derived from an ancient civilization," she said. "That technology had this weakness. The enemy that destroyed Space Station Liberty utilized a disruptor wave that caused the technology to self-destruct when it was on. We have informed all of our Sentinels allies to shut off this technology."

She started to leave.

"Is this new enemy working with the Invid?" asked a reporter. "I mean, if they could disable the technology we relied on to defeat the Invid on Earth…"

"Our intel indicates no alliance between this new enemy and the Invid Regency. That is all."

"So just as one war ends, another one begins," said Laureline.

There was much that could not be said. Surely Hayes and other officials met privately with the members of the Sentinels Alliance, informing them of the Haydonite treachery. A public accusation would be a great _faux paus,_ isolating the U.N. from our allies.

Which would play right into Haydon IV's hands.

It was all but certain that the Haydonites would turn against the other allies.

By the time they do so, it could already be too late.

It was not just fleets of warships and wings of veritech fighters that will defeat the Haydonites, but the game of diplomacy.

Ooooooo

Here I was, back at Trans Galactic Headquarters. I was a little nervous, but also very determined.

"Hi," Rebecca said to me. "We're a bit busy right now. The admiral…"

"I have an appointment with him," I said.

I went into his private office. It was large, with a huge wooden desk. There were many papers on that desk.

"Have a seat," said Max Sterling.

So I did.

"I understand you met with Lisa Hayes-Hunter," he said.

"Yes."

"I have worked closely with her for over thirty years. She told me about the meeting, and about Haydon IV."

"So we are on the same page."

"More or less," replied the admiral. "The Council has yet to declare war or issue as a Letter against Haydon IV. I understand; Lisa told me we would have to convince our Sentinels Allies what the Haydonites did."

"You believe Lisa Hayes-Hunter, right?"

"I trust her judgment. But I can also understand our allies' objections. The war ships were not of Haydonite design. There is nothing to connect those particular Haydonites with the Awareness. It could have been a splinter faction that had just come out of hiding after the Invid were defeated."

"No doubt our company would be slapped with multi-billion dollar sanctions if we attacked Haydonite ships, or even ships of that mystery design, without being attacked first. The Board would have my head, and the heads of my inner circle as well. The ship's captain may even face prosecution for space piracy- a death penalty offense if prosecuted by the Commonwealth. So our ships can not go around hunting Haydonite ships, whatever they look like."

"Well, Admiral, I would like to be part of a search and rescue operation to find the SDF-3 _Pioneer_. I have to be out there, sir."

"Why?" he asked. "There is much work you can do in our hangars. We're disconnecting the Shadow tech from our own ships. Your experience will be more than helpful."

"When I was stranded on Earth, I joined forces with a veritech pilot, Gabriel Gashtar. He was stranded After that failed mission to reclaim Earth two years ago. He and I as well as the two you met the other day, we traveled across the world, fighting the Invid. Gabriel Gashtar was killed in battle."

"I've had too many personal experiences like that."

"I personally informed his mother on Tirol. His father, Command Sergeant Major Walera Gashtar- he…he is on the SDF-3. He's part of the Space Marine detachment."

"I couldn't bring Gabe home. If I couldn't bring Gabe home, I could at least bring his dad home."

Max Sterling stood. "Warera Gashtar isn't the only one missing." He paced around. "Best friends. Wives. Mothers. Daughters. Sisters." He stood, his back turned to me, staying silent.

"We'll bring them back, you and I and the officers and crewmen of this company!" exclaimed the admiral. "We're bringing them home."

He went out of the private office and into the reception area.

"Tell Lisa I'm going out to get her man back!" I heard him say forcefully.

Ooooooo

I was to go out the next day. I had a family dinner at home, with Mom, Dad, Chelsea, Leon, Kelly, and Liam.

Doc and Laureline were also there. We were having beef stroganoff.

We talked as we ate, mostly about my new space deployment, only three days after I returned to Glorie.

"Why you going away again, Auntie?" asked Kelly.

"You were too young to understand, but your mommy and daddy and grandma and grandpa were all sad when I was gone and didn't know what happened." I answered. "That ship is missing. There are aunties missing. Uncles. Mommies. Daddies. Grandpas. Brothers"-I recalled Leon's brother was on the ship-"Sisters. Daughters Sons. They must be feeling the way your mommy and daddy felt when I was missing. I was gone nearly two years. I missed so much of you growing. But I want to find that ship, so we can bring all of them home to their families. They won't have to wait two years." 


	52. MODAT

I recalled the last step I took as my foot broke contact with the surface of Planet Glorie for what could be months.

I recalled the last breath that I took of Planet Glorie's air before I went inside the transport shuttle.

It was about two hours before the shuttle reached its destination.

It was the Trans Galactic corporate flagship, the _Bahamut_. The name was derived from mythology, just like Odin or Shiva or Batman or Goku.

I stepped out through a jetway connecting the shuttle with the pressurized sections of the flagship.

A man in a blue outfit rose up and spoke to me. He had black hair and an amber complexion. An ID badge was pinned to his shirt.

I introduced myself. "Reporting for duty as First Mate, sir."

"Permission granted," replied the captain.

Captain Shu Yung was a veteran of the United Nations Spacy and longtime merchant aerospace captain with Trans Galactic as well as a licensed privateer, like I was. I had been given a file so I could know what to expect from him.

"Admiral on deck!" yelled Shu. Max Sterling had come aboard. The flagship was used as a mobile command center for operations involving multiple ships of the fleet. Usually the Chief Operations Officer, Chen Yan, was in charge, but Max Sterling himself is leading this very important mission.

"Our first course of action is a briefing with the senior officers," said the admiral.

We walked along the corridors. We entered this conference room, which looked like the conference room at corporate headquarters, with a long wooden table and chairs and things.

Holograph screens appeared, with images of various people. It was clear that we in this eroom were not the only ones attending this meeting.

"Our mission to provide support for the Expeditionary Fleet as they search for the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ ," said the admiral. "Some of their scout ships are already searching. The _Bahamut_ will be traveling to Earth for important equipment. Time is of the essence; my staff have already provided you all with detailed instructions.

"I must of course remind you that we have no Letter of Marque or Reprisal. We may not attack any ship unless they attack first or responding to a distress call from an allied ship. _Bahamut_ out.

He then looked at me and Captain Shu.

"Let's go."

We needed the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ , not just for its protoculture matrix, but to reveal to the galaxy what Haydon IV had done.

I went out of the conference room. I looked and greeted Laureline and Doc, wearing the blues.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Different," said Laureline. "But I'm used to doing different things every week."

"I will take care of the crew," said Doc, who was now the ship's medic.

I went to the bridge; it was this huge room,. With many consoles, much bigger than the navigation bridge on my old training ship back during my training cruise years ago. The bridge crew gave us reports. All systems were normal.

I understood why Sterling made me a first mate. I had traveled across Earth as part of a crew, resisting the Invid, plus I had so much knowledge.

"All systems are go," I said.

"We are cleared for departure," said Captain Shu. "Admiral, speak now or forever hold your peace."

"I hold my peace," he replied.

My heart was racing.

"We have cleared the gravity well," said one of the crewmen, a young woman.

"Entering coordinates for hyperspace fold," said the other.

"We are ready."

"Initiating hyperspace fold," said the captain.

And so we folded on a course to Earth.

ooooooooooo

There was a defold, a the navigator confirmed that we were in orbit over Earth.

"This is the United Earth Ship _Ark Angel_ ," said a voice from the speaker. "identify yourself."

"This is the merchant ship _Bahamut_ ," said Captain Shu.

"Captain, I have already informed the Admiral that we are in Earth orbit," said a bridge crewman.

"Thank you," replied the captain. He turned to me. It is time for you to go, First Mate," he said.

"Understood, sir," I replied.

I had read the memo from Sterling's office. I was to go down to the surface, withLaureline and doc.

I was impressed by this ship. The _Bahamut_ was about the size of an _Ikazuchi_ -class battlefortress, so large we had to use those sideways elevator things. The ship was equipped for extended voyages, and had machine shops where small components could be manufactured. The ship also had advanced interstellar communications. The CEO or COO could oversee critical corporate operations from the ship.

We all went to the shuttle bay, with Max Sterling himself, joining us, this time in a three-piece suit.

"Are you going to be all right?" asked Laureline.

"Yes," I replied.

"We are cleared for takeoff," said the shuttle point. "Admiral?"

"I hold my peace," said Sterling.

And so the shuttle left the shuttle bay of the _Bahamut_ , starting its descent into Earth's atmosphere.

It was maybe two hours later that we finally landed. The door was opened and the other passengers and I stepped outside.

There was a landing pad. Sunlight came from above. I could tell we were below ground level.

I noticed GR-001 Garland battloids standing guard, and a van waiting for us. There was a bearded man in a suit standing by.

I remembered him.

He was Mark Landry!

"Good to see you up on your feet," he said. "You might want to know that Stacy Embry and Vic Yahagi and those refugees you brought in are fine. We're still working on restoring communications with the rest of the galaxy."

I could still remember that physician who helped me heal after I was wounded on that aerial battle with the Invid Regency while _en route_ from Vietnam to Japan.

"You sure have connections," the admiral said to me.

Landry introduced himself to the others.

We did not need him to tell us to get inside the van.

Mark drove the van through the streets of this underground city. It was not too hard to see construction cranes. I could still remember that battle.

That battle that took Gabe.

The rage and grief swelled to the surface.

I did not want to go through this again.

But it was a price I was willing to pay if it increased the chances of us bringing Gabe's dad back home.

"Ah, the old Robotech Research Center," said Sterling. "I remember when I was down here."

"When was that?" asked Landry, sitting in the van's front seat.

"Before the Pioneer Mission, I was a test pilot for the Alpha-Beta prototypes."

I never knew that. I guessed it took nearly a decade of improvement of the under-the-hood robotech, so to write, before the Alphas and Betas were useful for combat.

"You know, I did manage to make contact with my Uncle Kevin," said Landry. "He was in Knight Squadron during the SDF-1 Campaign. He fought in the Evacuation. He's a retired major general now."

"Really?" asked the admiral.

"Really. I hadn't spoken to him for at least fifteen years."

"I was reunited with my son. He was part of the Resistance here. He's a commander in the Ocean Patrol and a Bullfrog team leader."

"Yeah, I've heard of the Bullfrogs. Anyway, we should be less than five minutes away."

It was less than five minutes before the driver stopped the van and parked.

I have been here before.

"This is where the E.V.E. is," I said. I could see that giant structure, towering over the skyscrapers.

We stepped out and Mark Landry led us all through some corridors. I recalled the general look from my memories.

Eventually we reached the chamber, with all of its monitor screens. The staticky smell was still here.

"Vince," said Sterling.

"Hi, Max," replied Vince. I looked and saw a man in service khakis. He looked kind of familiar. He had service ribbons pinned to his uniform, a nametag revealing his family name as "GRANT", and the silver star on his collar told us he was a commodore. "Good to see you here."

"I am glad you are all here," a man said. He had white hair and was wearing a three-piece suit. I recognized him as Chairman Daryl Embry. "The Enhanced Video Emulation system will address you."

An image of a silver-haired woman appeared on the screen- the avatar of the E.V.E.

"I am the Enhanced Video Emulation system, or the E.V.E.," she said. " I coordinated the Resistance Alliance during the Invid Occupation. I have been in contact with Supreme Command Headquarters and was apprised of the situation regarding the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ , as well as whom the United Nations suspects was truly behind its disappearance and the destruction of Space Station Liberty."

"But they have allies," said Colonel Nova Satori, who was in the chamber with us and was wearing a green Class "C" uniform. "Allies who owe them their freedom from the Invid."

I did read and hear about the Sentinels campaign. An alliance of worlds, once tributary to the Robotech Masters, invaded and occupied by the Invid Regency, fighting for their freedom. The Sentinels- including the United Nations- had fought to liberate these worlds from the Regency. From what I read, some of our allies' ships participated in the Battle of Reflex Point.

"For me to coordinate this effort, I will need a stronger connection," said the E.V.E. "We have prepared devices to be connected to the ship's computer systems. Your ships- the _Ark Angel_ and the _Bahamut_ \- will effectively become mobile data terminals."

"Our IT security company isn't gonna be too happy," said the admiral. "But I have to make a judgment call, and it's worth the risk."

"There is one thing I must ask," I heard someone say.

I looked and saw Janice Em, that woman I saw back at that bar and grill in Moon Base ALuCE. She was walking to a terminal on the side. I also noticed Dr. Louis Nichols with her, wearing a white coat.

"I know you," said E.V.E.

"I need a system upgrade," said Janice. "It seems the equipment necessary for the data transfer is here."

The image of a woman disappeared, replaced by some humanoid figure with some sensor or jewel on her forehead. She went to one of the terminals. Her eyes glowed. "System software updated."

I noticed Commodore Grant speaking with Chairman Embry, as if they knew each other before the Invid Invasion. He then turned to look at us.

"We had better get to work," said Grant.

"I will help coordinate," said Landry. "I've been working with the E.V.E. since I was nineteen. I've even worked with one of her mobile data terminals back then."

I suspected that would be a long story.

Ooooooooooooo

The hardware needed to improve the connection with the E.V.E. was not that big- for ships the size of the _Bahamut_ or the _Ark Angel_ , at least. They each needed a truck for transport to the cargo shuttles. Police motorcycles escorted the trucks to the spaceport where the cargo shuttles waited.

I saw the admiral and Commodore Grant greeting each other goodbye. The commodore went into the U.N. Spacy Horizon cargo shuttle with Doc Nichols and the upgraded Janice Em.

"Maybe it will not be as painful the next time we visit," said Laureline.

The cargo shuttle lifted off, and soon we were back on board the Bahamut. Motorized carts were used to move the module. After riding through some freight elevators and freight, well, side-a-vators, we reached this room near the ship's computer core.

The room was empty, as it was meant for the plugin of modules. There were all sort of data jacks around.

A ship going on a long journey always had a little more crew than needed, a little more supplies than needed, and a little more space than needed. There were always contingencies. As such, this was standard practices, from scalies sailing on board sail galleys across the oceans of Glorie to ships as large as the _Ark Angel_ traveling through hyperspace.

I myself oversaw the engineers, due to my engineering experience from the twenty months that I was stranded on Earth, the very planet below. I personally made some of the data connections.

"Great work, ma'am," said one of the engineers.

"Well, I learned how to do this in much more difficult conditions," I replied.

It took a few more connections. I could see indicator lights on this module.

"Our systems are now connected to the E.V.E.," said a technician in blue overalls.

I went back to my office. It was a little small., barely bigger than a closet, with an L-shaped desk and chairs. On the desk a desktop computer, an Apple HyperMac. I guessed I could contact the E.V.E. directly from here. I never had my own office before.

Nor did I have a lot of paperwork to do.

It was not long before I was summoned to the bridge, for we were ready to depart Earth orbit- as well as the Sol system. The bridge was lit by lamps in the ceiling as well as the indicator lights on the instrument panels. Captain Shu was already on the bridge.

"All systems are go, First Mate," he said.

I continued to hear updates from the bridge crew- Shu called them Bridge Bunnies for some reason.

Finally, Max Sterling entered the bridge.

"Okay," he said. "We now have clearance to depart."

"All systems are ready, sir," said Shu.

"We do not attack any ships unless attacked first," said the admiral. "if we find a supply or repair base for the mystery ships, we fold to a safe place and then transmit the info to the _Ark Angel_. "

"Aye aye, sir."

"Hyperspace coordinates set," said one of the Bridge Bunnies, a lady maybe a year younger than me.

"We are ready to leave," said the captain. "Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

"I hold my peace," replied Sterling.

And then the multicolored light display and the screeching indicated our fold.

Ooooooooooo

"So it turns out that Yellow Dancer was really a dude all along," I said.

I remembered reading an article about Yellow Dancer's concert in Richland Center, Wisconsin on Planet Earth, which happened just before we left Earth orbit to look for the _Pioneer_.

Yellow Dancer pulled off the costume, revealing himself to be a man!

He was Lance Belmont. He was a Space Marine combat pilot who had actually crash-landed on Earth after a failed reclamation mission six years ago. He took on the cover identity of Yellow Dancer, acting as a courier and spy, eventually making his way to Reflex Point. After the Battle of Reflex Point, he submitted the resignation of his commission. The Space Marines promoted him to major and gave him a honorable discharge. There was a picture of him, wearing dress blues with the brass oak leaves on his shoulders with many medals pinned to his uniform. I noticed a dark-haired young man in dress whites standing with him, as well as an unidentified young woman with light green hair standing next to him. "UNSM MAJ Lance Belmont, just before his discharge, with UNS LCDR Scott Bernard", the caption read.

I had wondered if Lieutenant Commander Yusuf Obegwo, Petty Officer Second Class Bridget Riley, Second Lieutenant Sal Molino, and the others of Orca Squadron had witnessed this. It had been a long time since I spoke to them.

"Wow," said Max Sterling. "Pretty impressive. Even more than when I pretended to be a full-sized Zentraedi during the First War."

He, Captain Shu Yung, and I were having dinner in the admiral's apartment on board the _Bahamut_. We sat around a long table in this dining room adjacent to the living room. The steward served us artificial tri-tip with barbecue sauce and potatoes _au gratin_ and a wedge salad which had blue cheese and bacon. We certainly hired one of the best chefs to work on the _Bahamut's_ galley.

I myself had been on this ship for weeks now. We were coordinating for our own scout ships, with the help of the E.V.E. My days were spent mostly reading reports and doing paperwork in the office, taking my turn at the navigation bridge, and occasionally going out and visiting the various sections of the flagship. I did get to know the other officers like Second Officer Egawa Shogo, 1st Engineer's Mate Ronald O' Herlihy, and others like Norman Havel and Michael Arminger and Zakbat H'ruffson, often while eating meals in the officers' mess. On occasion, I would attend briefings, hosted by Commodore Grant from the _Ark Angel_. On other occasions, I would spend time with Laureline and Doc in my stateroom, a studio apartment, having a cup of tea.

"And now the Zentraedi are in the United Nations," said the captain. "But..it is still hard to believe Haydon IV is the enemy. When I was in the Spacy, we fought alongside Haydonites against the Invid. One time maybe four years ago, my ship's fold drive was offline in battle, the Invid were pounding on us, and then three Haydonite ships came to the rescue. The Haydonites were essential in liberating scores of worlds from the Invid."

"They gave us the Shadow technology which gave our ships a crippling weakness," I said. "They gave us the Neutron-S missiles which created that black hole in the Omicron sector. They attacked the SDF-3."

"I'm not all that convinced, myself," said Shu.

"So you understand why our allies are not all that convinced," replied Sterling. "That is why the Council can not declare open war yet, or give us a Letter."

Scout ships- from both our fleet and the United Nations fleet, were searching the galaxy for evidence.

A telephone rang. The admiral picked it up.

"Admiral here," he said. "Copy. I should join you." He looked at us. "Got to get to TacOps. One of the burdens of being an admiral."

"You need me on the bridge, sir?" asked the captain.

"No, not unless there is an emergency aboard this ship."

"Got it."

We finished our meals and then left.

Oooooo

It was after that meal that we had yet another meeting, inside the conference room this time.

"We lost the _Fargo_ ," said Sterling. "It came across what appeared to be a repair station for the mystery ships. It was tracked and was unable to fold out before it was destroyed."

Oh no. the _Fargo_ had a crew of dozens.

"We were able to receive a transmission showing the _Fargo's_ location," said a member of the command staff. "the E.V.E confirmed that this data was sent to the _Ark Angel_ as well as Expeditionary Command."

The next job was to send a flotilla there to investigate.

But we all knew that the Haydonites would activate the fold drive on their repair station, leave for another part of the galaxy- no doubt protected by a defensive fleet composed of their mystery ships.

Oooooooo

The loss of the _Fargo_ was the conversation topic for the next day, but by the day after that, we settled on our normal routine. I assumed my overall duties to making sure the ship ran smoothly. The admiral could run the company from here, but only if we had systems in working order.

When I was not concentrating on the status of the _Bahamut_ or its officers and crew, I began to ponder how the Awareness kept command and control of the mystery fleet. To maintain secrecy, there could not be too many flights between Haydon IV or known Haydonite worlds or space habitats and mystery fleet facilities. Communications would have to be encrypted. There could be no continuous hyperspatial data links, but they would have to be regularly scheduled. The supply and repair depots must be able to operate independently for months, if not years. And the mystery fleet must not be anywhere near Haydon IV nor its colonies.

I am sure Supreme Command is wondering this as well.

I just wanted to bring Gabe's dad back home.

And we had to act soon.

Routine means we were less likely to be blown to bits in the vacuum of space.

But without finding at least the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ , let alone evidence connecting the Awareness with the mystery fleet, the Haydonites will be able to build up the mystery fleet to the extent that secrecy will not be necessary.

That would result in not just the annihilation of humanity, but of all of the Sentinels as well.

Not even Max Sterling was paid enough to bear that kind of burden.

Ooooooo

Sometimes it is hard to know what to wish for.

There are so many choices, so many tradeoffs.

I wished for an uneventful day, because it means I was more likely to live to see the next day.

And yet, I wished we could get this we could get this thing to be over with.

I had my turn at the navigation bridge. Everything was fine.

"There's a transmission," said a crewman on the conn.

"Patch it through," I said.

I heard this song.

 _Stage Lights_

 _Flashing_

 _The feeling's smashing._

 _My heart and soul belong to you_

"Who is broadcasting this old song over hyperspace?" said a lady at the console.

 _And I'm here now, singing_

 _All bells are ringing._

 _My dream has finally come true._

"We're getting a communication from the _Ark Angel_ , ma'am," said the conn crewman.

A holographic screen appeared, showing a man with a brown moustache.

"We detected this signal on this channel, playing this song," said the man, who was the captain of the _Ark Angel_.

"Maybe we can get the E.V.E. to triangulate this signal," I said.

"Already sending the request."

We seemed to just be receiving a hyper spatial signal broadcasting this classic, even though we were far from allied space.

 _Stage Fright_

 _Go away_

 _This is my big day_

 _This is my time to be a star!_

 _And the thrill that_

 _I feel_

 _It's really unreal._

 _I can't believe I've come this far_

 _This is my time to be a star!_

The avatar of the E.V.E appeared on a holographic screen.

"Using normal triangulation methods, the signal appears to be originating from Karbarran space," said the E.V.E.

"Oh," I said. I knew the Karbarrans were one of the Sentinels; some of their ships fought the Invid Regency at the Battle of Reflex Point. At least this was a little variet-

"But I have decrypted a hidden signal," continued the supercomputer. "I have decrypted a set of coordinates and a brief message."

"What message?" I asked.

"Roy's little brother is here."

I saw the _Ark Angel_ captain's eyes widen like saucers or a scalie's side eyes. "I want to speak to the commodore now!" he yelled. "I don't care what he's doing!"

It was time for me to be the leader.

"Contact the captain," I said to the conn crewman.

I then picked up a handset. "Bridge to Admiral, we have a situation. Your immediate attention is required. A hidden message about Roy's little brother."

"Anything else, bridge," he replied.

"The E.V.E. decoded a set of coordin-"

"That's where they are!" he yelled.

Captain Shu Yung arrived on the bridge, followed by Max Sterling.

"Get TacOps on Glorie oneline,"s aid the admiral.

"Copy."

A screen appeared and this young man with black hair appeared.

"TacOps Glorie here," he said. "Oh, Admiral, it's you. I'll get Miss Westlake here."

Less than a minute later, Rebecca Westlake appeared in TransGalactic's Tactical Operations Center on Planet Glorie, holding her coffee mug reading "I'm #1".

"Admiral," she said. "Any news."

"We found our lost toy boat," said Max.

The image of United Nations spacy Commodore Vince Grant appeared. "Okay, team," he said. "the E.V.E. gave us a set of hyperspace calculations for each of our ships. It will get us there with the shortest external transit time, with still enough protoculture left over for contingencies. The location is four hundred light-years below the Milky Way. Make sure to start folding operations. Our enemy will get the coordinates of our lost toy boat."

"Begin hyperspace fold," said the captain. "Use the calculations provided by the E.V.E."

"Copy," said the navigator. "Hyperspace fold sequence initiated."

Rebecca took a sip from her coffee mug. "Don't worry, _Bahamut_ ," she said. "We've got your back."

And then there were the multicolored lights.


	53. The Valiant Prince

"Hyperspace defold complete," I heard as I sat inside the backup bridge. The multiciol;ored lights disappeared.

The backup bridge was a second navigational bridge that could be used for nasvigation in case the primary bridge was offline. It was meant for use during emergency situations.

And this was definitely an emergency situation.

For we had a solider than solid lead on the SDF-3 Pioneer, thanks to an encrypted message decoded by the E.V.E. computer system.

"We have a ship," I heard someone say. "At ten o'clock, eight thousand klicks."

I could see a radar screen showing the positions of the ships in our flotilla, including the colony ship _Ark Angel_.

A holographic screen popped up. I could see the _Pioneer_. It was a large ship, with obtuse corners. A man with black hair and a moustache appeared on a screen. He wore some sort of flight suit.

"This is Captain Roddy Ramirez of the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ ," he said. "Identify yourself."

"This is Commodore Grant, on board the _Ark Angel_ ," said Commodore Vince Grant. "We are taking you home. The _Ark Angel_ will approach you and include you in its fold sphere."

"There will be time to brief you, sir," replied the _Pioneer_ captain.

My heart was racing. Nobody, neither the officers, crew, nor Space Marines aboard the SDF-3, nor anyone in the rescue flotilla, had any illusions that the Haydonites were _not_ on their way now.

"Come on," I said.

A screen appeared, and I could see the _Ark Angel_ approaching the _Pioneer_ , looking tiny from the screen's viewpoint.

"Warning," said the E.V.E. "Objects in hyperspace approaching."

I swallowed.

We knew the drill.

We do not fold towards allied space unless and until the SDF-3 was retrieved, not even if we were under fire.

Maybe the Haydonites will not defold until the _Pioneer_ departed.

"Multiple defolds detected," said someone from the main bridge.

So much for that idea.

"Okay, people," said the commodore. "Cover the _Ark Angel_ and the SDF-3, no matter what the cost!"

Red lights flashed as the _Bahamut_ went to red alert, along with all of the ships in the flotilla.

I saw a visual of those Haydonite mystery ships, the same ships that appeared on that picture of the Battle of Space Station Liberty.

The same ships in my first Invid dream.

We were in a battle.

A battle where we were over four hundred light years from the nearest star.

"Skull Squadron, move out!" I heard Lieutenant Commander Maia Sterling say.

I looked and saw signals representing fighter spacecraft going out to engage the enemy. Lasers and missiles and rail guns fired.

I felt myself jolted a few times as the _Bahamut_ took some hits. I was no mere spectator in this battle.

"Let's add the _Bahamut's_ firepower to create a fire screen," said Max Sterling.

I heard chatter from the radio.

"Knight Ten is down!"

"The _Pegasus_ has taken heavy damage!"

"Fire guns at nine o-clock!"

"Keep current course," said Captain Shu. "We need to keep them safe!"

"Another one of our ships was lost."

These Haydonites were serious. They sent an entire fleet here.

They did not want the SDF-3 to come back.

" _Ark Angel_ is taking heavy fire!" 

"We're detecting more defolds from hyperspace," said a main bridge officer.

This was it.

More Haydonite reinforcements.

We could not bug out.

We had to bring Gabe's dad back home.

"They're attacking the enemy!" yelled someone.

I stood up, as many people likely did.

A holographic screen.

I had to blink three times to see clearly.

I could see the tightly curled black hair with the reddish tint, the flat nose, the thick lips, the shape of the jaw.

"Itzak!" I yelled.

"This is Invid Prince Itzak," he said. "United Earth ships, we have come to help."

"The Invid are helping us?" asked one of the fighter pilots.

"We could use all the help we can get," said Commodore Grant.

There were more signals, moving quickly among the large signals.

"Those are Invid veritechs!" said another fighter pilot.

So the Regess made more of those Overlords.

I had a great deal of trouble with the one piloted by that Princess Solzie.

At least they can cause trouble for the Haydonites.

The Awareness could not have foreseen this.

"We're picking up something," said Shu. "There's a ship on a collision course with the _Ark Angel_."

"We only need a few more seconds," said the _Ark Angel_ captain.

"I'll buy you those few seconds," said a male voice.

"Scott, don't do it!" yelled another male voice.

"Lieutenants don't give orders to commanders."

"We'll cover you."

I saw a close up of the haydonite vessel, showing clear signs of damage. I saw something fly inside.

My heart seemed to slow.

And then.

The vessel exploded from the inside out, consumed by a fireball.

"SCOOOOTTTTT!" yelled one of the pilots.

And then both the _Ark Angel_ and the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ were surrounded by this sphere and then folded into hyperspace.

"Mission accomplished," said Max Sterling.

But what happened to Scott.

"I have someone here," said Itzak.

"Get a close-up," I said.

"Magnifying," replied the crewman.

I looked and saw the form of an Invid Overlord, a bit blurry. It was holding a VFA-6 alpha fighter that showed clear signs of battle damage.

"Breathing hurts a little," said Scott.

"The remaining enemy ships are bugging out," said a voice.

"Invid ship, this is the hospital ship _Maimonides_ ," said another voice. "We have corpsmen on standby. Please get him here."

"Got it," said Itzak.

"Good to see you again," I said to him.

I heard the chatter as Itzak dropped off the pilot at the hospital ship.

"Permission to board the _Bahamut_ ," said Itzak.

"Granted," I said. "Please come aboard."

It was not long before Itzak landed in our landing bay.

"Our guest has arrived," said a voice.

"Hey, some kid just appeared out of thin air!" I heard someone yell.

That came from outside!

I went outside.

And there he was.

Itzak, wearing some sort of flight armor over a T-shirt and jeans.

I embraced him. It had been two months.

"I missed you so much," I cried.

"I know," he replied. "I'm back now."

We kept holding each other.

Nothing else mattered, right here, right now.


	54. True Characters Revealed

Laureline and Doc were really ecstatic upon reuniting with Itzak.

"Listen," I said to them. "I have some important First Officer stuff to do. I'll let you three catch up."

And so I did. We had to make sure everything was ready.

We were finally ready to go. The E.V.E. would coordinate a massive hyperspace fold, linking our fold drives and taking the entire flotilla- even the ships whose fold drives were crippled- back to allied space.

I saw the familiar double vision and multicolored lights, and we were in hyperspace.

"Everything's normal," said a crewman manning one of the bridge consoles.

It was not long afterward that we defolded, and reached allied space. We hailed ourselves. Our sensors picked up hundreds of ships, all friendly. The SDF-3 _Pioneer_ and the _Ark Angel_ were there, as well as the SDF-4 _Liberator_.

"We have a message from the SDF-3," said Max Sterling, speaking from the TacOps center on board the _Bahamut_. "They have passengers for us. We will dock with them."

And that we did. Our bridge crew gave us updates as they used the vernier thrusters and the gravity pods to slowly approach the battlefortress. After maybe twenty minutes, our speeds are matched.

"Beginning docking procedure," said a crewman.

"Docking jetway secure," said another crewman.

"Good job," said Captain Shu Yung.

Shu and I went to greet the new passengers at the passenger airlock on Deck 4, along with the admiral and some crewmen. I glanced at the side and noticed Itzak right here.

"I wanna see what's going on," he said.

The door opened as soon as a light next to it turned green. I looked and saw a white-haired man wearing service khakis and carrying a duffel bag. There were four stars on his collar, and lots and lots of ribbons pinned to the khaki shirt. He carried a duffel bag and a briefcase.

'Max," he said.

"Rick!" yelled Sterling. He ran towards Rick and embraced.

"I knew you'd come for me," said Rick. "Oh, I should tell your crew who I am." He faced us. "Admiral Rick Hunter, United Nations Spacy, commander of the Robotech Expeditionary Forces Command."

I heard that name before, probably when I was stranded on Earth.

"Welcome aboard the _Bahamut_ , Admiral," said Captain Shu. "I already have the crew preparing your stateroom. VIP, of course."

"I'll let our guest here explain it," said Sterling.

"I need to go to Tirol so I can debrief the Joint Chiefs at Supreme Command headquarters," said Admiral Hunter. "The SDF-3 isn't in the best shape, so I need to use this ride. I need to get there as fast as I can."

"That we will do, sir," replied Shu. "we will have the E.V.E. take care of the calculations."

Hunter walked down a corridor, escorted by one of the stewards to his stateroom. But our admiral said there were other passengers. Maybe one of his staff?

I then saw another man carrying a duffel bag. He was in full armor. He had purple hair with a little bit of gray.

It had been two months, but I recognized him from the pictures.

For a second I could not breathe.

"Command Sergeant Major Walera Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines, SDF-3 _Pioneer_ Space Marine detachment."

Gabe's dad.

He exteneded his right ahdn, and we shook hands.

I introduced myself as First Officer.

"Uh…welcome aboard the _Bahamut_ ," I said. "We're getting your stateroom ready. I mean, I'm sorry if it's not ready…we just heard we were supposed to transport passengers. We're preparing to go to Tirol."

"I would rather stay on board the SDF-3 with my Space Marines," he said.

"I understand," said another man. Just standing in the jetway. He had dark skin and was clad in full gear.

"Colonel," said Command Sergeant Major Gashtar.

"I've considered all factors," said the colonel. "I have decided you must go home. Your wife has a message for you. You have leave for twenty days, starting today. Sergeant Major DeNardo should make a great relief pitcher."

"Rosa? I…I understand." He looked at another man, wearing a flight suit. "And you, Captain?"

"I will relieve most of my crew," said the captain. I noticed his black hair and moustache and recofgnized him as Captain Ramirez of the SDF-3 _Pioneer_. "My ship will be taken in for repairs. As captain, it is my responsibility to be on site."

"Aye aye, sirs," replied Gabe's dad.

"I can escort you to the guest staterooms," I said.

I and some crewmen escorted the command sergeant major through the corridors of the _Bahamut_. After riding an elevator, we reached a deck where the VIP staterooms were. I could see, through an open door, that it was basically a studio apartment.

"If it is not to your liking, I can get a work detail to fix it," I said. "I'll even clean it up myself."

"I will just need to rest for a bit," replied Command Sergeant Major Gashtar. "I've had twelve-hour workdays the past few weeks. Still, my Marines need me."

"Your wife needs you, and has to tell you something."

"I understand. And…and..I need to hear it from Rosa. Can you leave, please? I'll let the captain know if I need anything."

I shut the door. I looked at Itzak. He had a sad look in his eyes. Even though he had been with the Invid for two months, he could still remember that day.

"We need to bring him home," I said.

oooooooo

The E.V.E. made calculations to get the _Bahamut_ to Tirol in forty-five minutes. The catch was that would use up almost all of the protoculture.

We were prepared. We executed a fold, and then a defold.

We approached Fantoma and Tirol. I took maybe two hours for us to enter into orbit directly around the moon. We summoned a tanker to refuel the ship for its next journey.

Doc, Laureline, Itzak, and I escorted Command Sergeant Major Gashtar onto the transport shuttle. Also riding in the transport shuttle was Admiral Hunter.

"Take care, Rick," said Max Sterling, standing at the other end of the connecting jetway. "You should consider joining me at the private sector."

"I always consider it, Max," replied Hunter. "Maybe someday. Say hi to your kids for me."

There was not much talk on board the shuttle as it entered Tirol's atmosphere. Admiral Hunter was no doubt concentrating what he would say to the Joint Chiefs.

The rest of us did not want to talk about why the command sergeant major had to go home.

He sat in his seat, wearing his dress blues with all of the medals, including the Medal of Honor, worn on a silk ribbon over his neck.

After a few hours, I felt a thud.

"We have landed at Joint Forces Air Field Tirol," said a pilot.

We all stepped out of the shuttle, and onto the tarmac. Here I was on Tirol, again. I looked and saw Planet Fantoma high in the sky. An olive green Toyota Avalon Hover Model staff car and an olive green Toyota Sienna staff van were waiting for us.

"Admiral," said Gabe's dad, saluting.

The admiral returned the salute before heading inside the Avalon. We all entered the Sienna.

It was quiet inside. I looked around. There were not as many troops on patrol within the base. We approached the main gate, and I noticed the MP's were wearing the Class "A" service uniforms unlike the full armor that they were wearing the last time I was here.

The van drove along the streets. I could see the familiar sights of shopping centers and housing tracts. I recognized many of the shops and restaurants I saw.

And then we were on the street. I saw the single-level homes with the large front yards.

We finally stopped next to the Gashtar family home. It looked just like it did before when we were first here.

"Thank you, Corporal," Command Sergeant Major Gashtar said to the driver.

"You're welcome," replied the corporal.

He stepped out. An orange cat just laying in the front yard saw him and ran away to the left- that cat had been there when I first went here. The command sergeant major walked up to the front door of his home.

I saw Rosa Gashtar step out.

She was supporting him.

"Do you want to step out?" asked the corporal.

We stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Drive us back to the base," said Itzak.

Ooooooo

"So you grew up here," said Itzak.

Here we were, back home again. I saw the barn and the house and the sheds and the fields. There were some workers, both human and scalie.

"Yes, I did."

I had taken the next transport to Glorie. The admiral had relived me of being first officer of the _Bahamut_ , as I had accomplished my mission of bringing Gabe's dad back home. I really was supposed to go on vacation after being lost for nearly two years, but the admiral let me participate the past two months because I wanted to bring Gabe's dad back home to his family. The flagship had to be repaired; most of the crew was getting shore leave anyway.

Mom and Dad were waiting for us. They embraced me. Reading messages sent from the _Bahamut_ was a poor substitute for live interaction.

"Allow me to introduce myself," said Itzak. "I am Itzak Mlama, Prince of the Invid. I was spawned as an Invid, transmuted into human form, and adopted by the human, Ebrahim Mlama. I became a Prince after meeting with the Invid Regess."

"You have a long story," said Dad.

Ooooooo

My parents were silent as they ate their food after hearing Itzak's story.

"When I first got back, I was never sure I would see him again," I said. "That's why I didn't mention him."

"I'm glad he's reunited with you, dear," said Mom. "But what of the Invid?"

"I'm here to establish peaceful relations with the humans," said Itzak. "As well as make an alliance against the Children of the Shadow."

"What is life like with the Invid?" asked Dad.

"I was with the Regess," replied Itzak. "She is my mother, you know. We had to set up hives as well as protoculture farms. The Flower of Life does not grow naturally where we are, unlike Earth."

"But they can refine protoculture?" asked Dad.

"Yes."

"If only we can give them the Flower in exchange for protoculture."

"Not too many kids my age there," said Itzak. "Not too many video games."

"Maybe if we can provide a permanent data link," I said.

"It would be good," said Doc. "But many humans- not to mention the Sentinels- would not trust the Invid."

"We can not trust all humanity," said Itzak. "I know the good humans could do- my father was a human who took me into his household, made me his son, even though he certainly knew I was not human. And yet, I've witnessed the bad humans could do."

"I wonder if it is the same with the Haydonites," said Laureline.

"It is," said Dad. "Many are probably like me and you. The same was true of the Zentraedi. And yet, that did not stop us from killing many Zentraedi. That did not stop them from killing us. Many Haydonites just like us will fall."

Open war with Haydon IV was inevitable at this point. We knew it, the United Nations leadership knew it, and the Awareness knew it.

The question was if our allies knew it.

Eventually, it was time for bed. Itzak slept in my old room. I looked at him, tucked under the covers, sound asleep. I then went out where the sleeping bags were set for me, Laureline, and Doc.

Oooooooooo

"Crowded village," said Itzak.

"It's summer now," I said. "A lot of people come here to relax."

There were plenty of people in the village. Like us, they all wore short sleeve or sleeveless shirts and blouses. Some of them wore shorts and miniskirts, especially the girls. Many of them walked along the sidewalks here.

"So beautiful," said Itzak.

"You're just growing up," said Laureline. "Just because you're an Invid Prince doesn't mean you stopped becoming a man."

I glanced and saw three girls, about twelve to thirteen, walking away from us in the opposite direction, all wearing short skirts.

Itzak made sure to take in the sights. We passed through, of course, on our way home, but did not spend too much time in the Village as we wanted to meet my parents on the farm.

"There it is," I said, pointing towards the Seafood By the Bay Restaurant.

"Her family often comes here," said Doc.

"We're family," said Itzak.

We all went to the front door and into the restaurant. It was not too crowded, but would be around late afternoon. Itzak looked around. I could hear food cooking. I could see the wooden floors and tables covered in tablecloths.

"Oh, hi there," said Judith, wearing her white blouse and black skirt with the black bowtie and black apron.

"Good to see you again," said Laureline.

"A friend of yours?" asked Itzak.

"Not really," I said. "She'll take care of us."

"How are you doing?" asked Doc.

"Oh, fine," she replied. "I started nursing school."

"That is great! I do want to start studying to be a registered nurse. I was a combat medic in the Air.."

"You're certainly doing a lot with your life," I said.

"Yeah, that last year of high school, I did nothing but attend classes, study, and do stuff on the farm like pick crops or pull weeds or clean stables," said Judith. "Though driving the combine harvester was a bit fun. Anyway, I lost all sense of entitlement by the time I graduated."

"I lost my sense of entitlement the end of my plebe year in the Academy," I said.

"Anyway, let me take you to a table. It should be empty."

We all sat down around a table.

"You're back," said Konda.

"Just back from space," I replied to him, Rico, and Bron. "This is Itzak."

"I'm an Invid Prince," he said.

"Is he old enough to drink?" asked Bron.

"He is on a diplomatic mission," said Doc. "He should have diplomatic immunity."

"That is right."

There were three men in slacks, white shirts, and neckties. They were of the United Nations Diplomatic Security Service, assigned to watch over the Invid Prince. They showed the three restaurateurs their credentials.

"Diplomatic immunity," said Rico.

"What's that?" asked Itzak.

"You can drink, buddy," I replied.

And we did, ordering drinks from Judith like the bottomless mimosas. We also had some of the food here from the brunch buffet . I myself had fried sole with french fried potatoes, while Itzak had the calamari with cocktail sauce. We all got bagels and eggs and bacon and stuff like that. The Piano Man played some music from the grand piano. Itzak even spoke with him for a while.

After this was over, we all felt better.

Oooooooo

Of course, there had to be girl time.

Rebecca Westlake invited us to this place on the mainland, in Primopolis. It was located on this street called Fir Avenue, with all sorts of bars and restaurants and nightclubs. Laureline and I made sure to dress our best for the night out, wearing skirts and sleeveless tops.

Wearing these kind of clothes made us feel great.

The place was this brewery on Fir Avenue. The prices were expensive, but we could afford it. There were all sorts of delicious food and a wide variety of drinks.

"Hi there," said this purple-haired lady in a sleeveless top and red skirt.

"Your name is Maia," said Laureline.

"Lieutenant Commander Maia Sterling," she said. "I was there when we rescued the SDF-3."

"I figured to extend an invitation," said Rebecca, wearing a white low-cut blouse and a white skirt. "She's Marcus's CO, you know."

"And this is my friend, Ariel," said the commander.

I looked at her, wearing a black dress. It took a while before I remembered who she was.

She was at Reflex Point with that Princess Solzie! I recalled how she tackled the princess just as she was about to shoot me in the back.

"Good to meet you, Ariel," said Rebecca.

"I was on the _Ark Angel_ with Scott and the others during the rescue mission," she said. "I'm glad Scott will be okay."

"I was on board the _Bahamut_ ," I said. "First Mate."

"Well, that is why we are celebrating," said Rebecca. "Cheers. To a successful rescue mission!"

I glanced and wondered if anyone from the Diplomatic Security Service was watching us, on account of Ariel being here.

In any event, we had pitchers of beer, as well as the food like steaks and sandwiches and chicken and salads. The atmosphere was lively.

"I might visit Earth one day," said Rebecca. "Maybe in a few years, when the resorts are up and running. Of course, by then I'll be Chief Operations Officer, so I'll be able to more than afford it."

"Cheers," said Laureline, raising her glass full of red ale.

"I spent almost two years on that planet," I said, "and had to come back there to upgrade the equipment on the _Bahamut_. It will be a long time before I decide to go back there."

"How is your family?" asked Laureline.

"Great," said Sterling. "We all had a family dinner together- for the very first time. It was delivery, of course, , but it felt like home."

"Cheers to family dinners," I said.

"You know, my parents told me this story about how my brother Steve was named."

"Tell us," said Ariel.

"He was named after the parents of one of my dad's wingmen from long ago, back when my dad was with Skull Squadron. He would either be named Steven Michael Sterling, or she would be named Stephanie Michelle Sterling. He's actually having lunch with his namesakes tomorrow."

"Hey," I said. "So when they announced the baby, they just had to announce S.M. Sterling."

"Right."

We had more drinks. I myself had another serving of that spinach-artichoke dip with soft pretzel.

"Wait a minute," said Rebecca. "You said your brother Steve was named after someone's parents. Whose parents?"

"A long story," replied Commander Sterling. "You, see, that someone..he was killed in combat over thirt-"

"It's you!" I heard someone yell.

I looked and saw ab bearded man with brown hair, wearing a short sleeve black shirt.

"Who are you?" asked Ariel.

That man looked familiar.

"Rebecca Westlake!" he yelled. "You were behind this."

"You must be mistaken about something," she said.

"No," he said. "It was you! You were behind that online smear campaign! You spread those rumors about me! You cost me my job! You cost me my job just so you could be Senior Operations Coordinator!"

Rebecca stood up. "You're just jealous because someone better than you got the job you wanted. And it would not surprise me if everything said in that smear campaign was true!"

"You bitch! I'm gonna-"

"That's enough, buddy," said this huge guy. "Let's go; you've had too much to drink."

"What was that?" asked Laureline.

"There was quite a bit of competition for the Senior Ops Coordinator," said Rebecca. "I got the job out of over a dozen applicants. Some people could not accept rejection well."

"I think he interviewed me when I was applying for the privateer position," I said.

"Such a shame," said Laureline.

I made sure to access the calendar on my cell phone.

We would all be hitting the nightclubs later.

Oooooooooo

"The Invid could sure use a place like this," said Itzak.

"I've only read of these places," said Laureline. "I read about the one in Nairobi, but never actually visited there."

"I've been to places like this," said Doc. "I once spent a week at a resort in Greece. There was this seaside amusement place. Expensive food."

"This only went up maybe ten years ago," I said.

We looked and we were at the Entertainment Zone in Heelshire. We were on this walkway with hundreds, and I could see the tops of various rides like the Millenium Racer and the Log Flume and the Top Hat and the Java Jamboree. We rode other rides like Runaway Mine Train and the Wild Mouse and the Dragon Flyer. We rode on this train that encircled most of the park. We went to this ride called the Drop Tower, where we were boosted up high the sky, and dropped down in freefall. It was simpler than flying a VFB-9 Beta fighter, but with more safety measures.

Drop Tower was much safer, especially as there were no Invid Overlords with princesses in human form out for my blood.

The Zone certainly had its share of food stands and souvenir shops. Itzak earlier had a hot dog with both yellow and spicy mustard; I had one with relish and blue cheese.

"I liked that Zombie Manor," said Itzak, pointing fingers.

"Very amusing," said Laureline.

The Zombie Manor was this popular ride, so popular that we had to get a Quik-E-Pass. It had this theme, where we went on a tour in a mystery mansion and it was infested with zombies. I rode with Itzak in these buggies, and we fired these fake guns at the zombies, who were of all shapes and sizes. I even remembered a _scalie_ zombie, with an eye dropping out of its side right eye socket.

Who would have imagined making a scalie look scary?

One thing I noticed is that a lot of the workers were scalies. I guess so many humans were still on active duty in the Reserves.

"Doc got a great score," said Itzak.

"I've had too much experience shooting at live targets," he replied.

"it's time," I said.

We went to the finest restaurant in the Zone. I had never been here before, and I am not sure whether it had been opened the first time my parents took me and Chelsea here. It was the Rushin' River Terrace. It was located next to the Log Flume. In fact, the dining area was right next to the part of the Flume right after the big drop, where the flume enters the building and makes a right-hand U-turn before exiting the building and going to the loading area.

A host escorted us to our seats. Our cloth-covered table was adjacent to the edge of the dining area, where we can look below at the Log Flume, and the drenched people riding on the logs just after the big drop. We frequently heard the water displacement as the logs kept dropping.

"Remember how wet you got?" asked Itzak.

"Good thing the warm weather dried me up," I said.

And so we had food. A scalie was our waitress, and she took our orders, speaking in this high-pitched squeaky voice.

There was so much food available such a prime cuts of steaks, lobster tails, fish, chicken, pork, various type of meaty and meatless salads, fresh sourdough bread, _au gratin_ potatoes, appetizers like mozzarella sticks and cheese dips. For drinks there was water and plenty of wine.

"I like this better than going to the nightclub with Rebecca and Ariel and Maia," said Laureline. "It was so noisy and crowded, much more so than here."

To accentuate the point, I heard the displacement of water as another log entered the restaurant. Itzak waved hi to the drenched riders before the log left the restaurant to return to the loading area.

"I wonder how Gabe's family is doing," said Itzak, after swallowing a piece of filet mignon.

"They must all be home, supporting each other," I said. "Quite a few people were lost trying to rescue the SDF-3. I can imagine Gabe's dad proposing a toast to them. I can imagine him playing with David and Sarah and Olivia."

"I wonder if Gabe was ever here," said Doc.

Ooooooo

We rode a few more rides at night, including the E-Zone Railroad and the Drop Tower, but then it was time to go. Fortunately, it was only a short car ride to the Heelshire dock, where we could catch the hover ferry to the Island.

"We need to work on getting driver's licenses," said Laureline. "we could just ride our bikes to the dock."

"Yes, and get places of our own to live," said Doc. "and I can not accept your parents building us a separate house on their property."

"Well, we can't drive your bikes after all we had to drink," I said.

We finally went home. I wanted to check the Internet and e-mail before going to sleep. I knew that the there was an Internet link between Earth and the rest of the galaxy, so web servers in places like New York and Alexandria could be accessed. I might be able to find out what happened to some of the people I met during my time there.

I then got a news update. It was about the Sentinels Alliance. I saw the video feed, which was dated just this evening. There was a meeting at Alliance Headquarters, with aliens of various shapes and sizes.

"We have evidence of transmissions between Haydon IV and the enemy that attacked the SDF-3," said a human military officer.

"This is disturbing," said Supreme Allied Commander Veidt, wearing his red cloak. I could see nervousness in his single eye. "I have no personal knowledge of this."

"And what of your superiors?" asked another military officer.

"I must contact the Awareness."

"We want a direct explanation from the Awareness," said Admiral Rick Hunter.

"We have a transmission from Haydon IV," someone said, probably a staff officer.

An image of a red eye appeared.

"My Awareness," said Veidt. "There are fractures growing within this Alliance. They claim evidence of transmissions between unknown parties in the Haydon System and the fleet that attacked the ships rescuing the SDF-3 Pioneer. If you can shed light on this."

"What does this Alliance accuse the Awareness of?"

"We examined the signals," said an Alliance officer. "They were signals from you. You were communicating with those ships during the battle."

"What?" asked Veidt. "How is this even possible?"

"Veidt, the Awareness commands you to return to Haydonite Forces Headquarters immediately. You will receive further instruction there."

"Yes, my Awareness."

So it happened.

Haydon IV's treachery was exposed.

Open war will begin soon.

"Veidt, how could you do this?" Admiral Hunter asked angrily. "We fought together. We fought side by side! I put my life on the line for you!"

"Rick Hunter, I must return to Haydon IV now," he said, a sad tone in his voice. "I can speak no further on the goals of the Awareness. I advise everyone here to return home as soon as you all can.

"Farewell, my friend."


	55. War Declared

We were back at corporate headquarters. Though we were on vacation, employees on vacation were allowed to use the recreational facilities at headquarters, as a few people did to save money on stuff ranging from coffee or gym memberships, plus the food here was comparable to food sold in delis.

Rebecca had texted me.

The admiral and inner circle want to see me. Im gonna be in inner circle by tonight.

We definitely had to see this. We got apartments near the spaceports- affordable for our salaries. Laureline and I had this little two bedroom apartment with a living room and was at least twice as big as my first apartment in Aresburg on Mars- a lifetime ago. It would have been tempting to rent at an apartment on the shore, but it was very expensive.

Wen had not that much time to unpack, not that we wanted to keep so much stuff. With our jobs, the company could send us to Tirol or Mars or another world or deep space habitat- or even Earth. I did not that transport channels were being established between Earth and the rest of the galaxy.

But we were here, to pay one little stop before we had to run our errands. We showed our employee IDs and went through the corridors. I passed cubicles where clerks did the work essential for the company to be able to track shipments across the light-years.

There was Rebecca's office. I saw her inside.

"How did the meeting go?" I asked. "Ready to celebrate another promotion?"

"They fired me," she replied. She was putting her things in a cardboard box, including her coffee mug.

"What? Why would they do that?"

"I…I just wanted to make sure they knew who the best girl for the job was. I…I mean..I mean so what if I forged an e-mail or two? They needed to know that I was the best girl to run Ops."

"So what if you forged an e-mail? It shows what kind of person you are. It shows me what kind of person you became, because of what you chose to do. Don't ever talk to me again."

She vacated her office, carrying the cardboard box in her two hands. Seconds later, a scalie in blue overalls arrived, carrying another cardboard box with his lower hand. With his upper right hand, he slid Rebecca Westlake's nameplate off the office door and dropped it into the box.

This would not have happened if I did not ask the E.V.E. to look into those claims of her leading an online smear campaign to get the job that now she had just been fired from.

Laureline, Doc, and I were done here for the moment. We had errands to run.

Oooooooooo

"Getting settled into a new place is so much work, much more work than on that ship," said Laureline.

"We used to travel to new places every week or so when we were on Earth," I replied, putting away things like containers and pitchers and so many things we bought from the nearest S-Mart- not to mention the beer and wine, of course.

"We only carried what we could transport on our bikes."

We did not have Internet or cable access yet, so the only way to access the Internet was through our phones.

I did see an article.

 **Sentinels Alliance Kaput, War with Haydon IV**

I saw a video feed, which took quite a it of time to load. It was a video of the Chairman of the United Nations Plenipotentiary Council. He stood behind a podium.

"Due to the evidence presented before us regarding Haydon IV's direct command over the ships that had destroyed Space Station Liberty and interfered with the rescue of the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ ," said the Chairman, flanked by some military officers. "The Plenipotentiary Council of the United Nations of Earth has hereby declared war on Haydon IV.

"A decision to go to war again, just two months after the last battle with the Invid Regency, was not a decision to be taken lightly. No doubt too many of us humans will have to sacrifice. But we can not let the Awareness make the next move.

"I am also announcing that the Council had appointed Admiral Rick Hunter as Supreme Commander of the United Earth Forces. Admiral, if you will."

"Your Excellency."

A white haired man in dress whites with all sorts of medals pinned to his white tunic appeared on the stage.

"I have not much to say," said the admiral. "I have much work to do. By your leave, sir."

"You may return to your post, Admiral."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you," said the Chairman. "That is all."

What was inevitable had just happened.

Ooooooo

"This is a great view," said Itzak.

We were on top of the Hill, the highest point on Santoso Island. The Hill was easily reachable by a moderate hike. Many of the people here have hiked to the top on more than one occasion, as farm chores tended to keep people fit. We could see my farm and the other farms, the Village, and a huge chunk of the Mainland, with the Snowclad Mountains on the horizon, though there was not any snow on the mountains during this season.

Of course, the big talk among most of us, not just the talking heads at the news channels, was the declaration of war with Haydon IV. Humanity had fought alongside the Haydonites for fifteen years now. Now we were fighting against them, with the fleet they built in secret.

It was fortunate that their treachery was exposed. The Sentinels Allies declined to support Haydon IV. Many of them had called it a betrayal of the worst kind. No doubt some of them would be providing supplies to the Earth Fleets.

But what of the Invid? They were enemies of the Shadow.

But would humanity- let alone the other Sentiles- be willing to ally with them?

"I remember when I was up here the first time," I said.

"I have to go now," said Itzak. "The Regency is calling me home."

"We can give you a ride to the spaceport or wherever they're picking you up," said Dad.

"That won't be necessary. I can leave now."

We all said our goodbyes.

Itzak looked up, holding the bag of souvenirs we had bought him during his visit to Glorie, and then he vanished in a flash of light.

"Could all Invid do that?" asked Mom.

Ooooooooooo

I settled into a routine, mostly for buying stuff for the apartment. Sometimes I would go out to this coffee shop at a shopping center just blocks from the apartment, and other times I would go to this bar and grill with this great happy hour. I managed to become familiar with the employees.

With Internet access, I did hear from some of the people from Earth. Rebekah Avital was still a Command Sergeant Major in the Israeli Defense Force. Van Nguyen was still a colonel in what was now called the Vietnamese Reconstruction Force. Orca Squadron was expanded and Yusuf Obegwo was promoted to commander, and Bridget Riley was promoted to petty officer first class. Manuel Tabing was not with them, as he was promoted to senior chief petty officer and was reassigned to a joint military staff stationed on Planet Glorie, of all places in this galaxy. Daryl Embry, Mark Landry, Stacy Embry, and Vic Yahagi were all okay. That Golden Dragon restaurant down there was still open, still owned by the Lings.

I visited the grounds of the United Nations Aerospace Academy, established nearly twenty years ago. I noticed the midshipmen in gray uniforms walking on the campus. The campus basically had all these brick and mortar buildings. I wonder how many of them had met Gabe. Those in 1st Class would have been in 4th Class when Gabe was in 1st class, but from what Gabe told me as well as my own experience in a similar academy, 4th class and 1st class did not exactly socialize.

No doubt almost all of the previous graduating class had been mobilized to active duty, as there was a military service obligation of at least Reserve duty, which becomes active duty during wartime. How long would the war last? Would even the 4th class midshipman end up losing their lives in the Fourth Robotech War?

I did have a visit with Chelsea and Leon and Kelly and Liam. It was a great visit at their little home maybe ten or so klicks from Primopolis. I did hear that Leon Redfield's brother was demobilized from Air Force active duty and went home to his family. He even had some paid leave days, due to the long time he was on active duty. I last met him during the wedding, along with Leon's other brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, stepsisters. I met Leon's nephews and nieces, who became Chelsea's nephews and nieces the day of the wedding.

Many of those who had been trapped aboard the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ were either placed on leave or demobilized.

But that was the exception, for there were mass mobilizations due to this new, Fourth Robotech War. The Commonwealth's National Guard and Coast Guard were fully mobilized, and some units were detached to the United Earth Forces. War vessels were constructed both in U.N. shipyards as well as the shipyards of some of the Sentinels allies.

And yet, I was here, on this planet.

I felt I had to do something. I was still a licensed privateer.

I knew that the Plenipotentiary Council had granted a Letter of Marque and Reprisal against Haydon IV to Trans Galactic, Incorporated. Even now, there were privateering operations to strike back at Haydonite ships, both of the conventional and the new design.

But corporate still judged that I had to recover from my experience on Earth. It was an indulgence that I got to participate in the SDF-3 Rescue Mission.

"Be grateful for this," said Doc. "We are safe from the enemy here. Soon we may be sent on a privateering ship."

But were we really safe?

Glorie could be a target for Haydon IV.

And Tirol would be a tempting target, being the headquarters of the United Earth Forces Supreme Command and the United Nations Plenipotentiary Council. Was the defensive fleet enough?

It was bad enough for Gabe's family that his dad returned to active duty along with the SDF-3, being a command sergeant major and all. But for the war to hit home…

If only I could contact Itzak, even using the Internet.

Of course, it was not yet the time to spend the rest of my life sightseeing or browsing the Internet or playing video games or working out or having coffee in coffeeshops or beer in bars.

Corporate called me. They wanted me, Laureline, and Doc to meet them.

Vacation time was over.

Ooooooooo

Once again, I was at corporate, wearing a suit, as were Laureline and Doc. We sat at the conference room, and some of the staff from the admiral's inner circle were here.

"We wait until the admiral gets here," said this man in a red suit.

The Max Sterling entered, wearing his blue coat with the red waistcoat and blue necktie.

"You three have a very important mission," he said.

We were going to be deployed. Were we going to be privateers, raiding Haydonite ships.

"What is this mission?" I asked.

"We have made little headway in the war," said the admiral. "None of the major Haydonite supply or repair depots have been destroyed. If you check online, you can find a list of ships lost. We need help to end this war swiftly, to out an end to the loss of life on both sides. I know about that command sergeant major that we rescued, along with the thousands on the SDF-3. I certainly do not want his grandchildren to be fighting this war."

I still recalled David and Olivia Gashtar, and Sarah Kennedy. They should not have to fight this war.

"What will we do?"

"We are going on board the _Bahamut_. You will just be a passenger, not the ship's First Officer. But cancel your plans, because we are leaving for the _Bahamut_ right away. Your vacation has ended."

Not long afterward, I took a deep breath of Glorie's air, before boarding the transport shuttle that would take us to the _Bahamut_.


	56. Enemy of an Enemy

I was familiar with the _Bahamut_ , so at least I got my own private stateroom with its own private head. I managed to lie down even as I experienced a hyperspace fold and defold. We were not hunting Haydonites in this mission, but I could not understand yet why Laureline and Doc had to come with me.

"Being planetbound for a few weeks was nice," said Laureline.

"You were planetbound for twenty-five years," replied Doc.

An intercom called out our names, to meet at the passenger airlock. I checked myself in the mirror, asndf then went out to the corridors with Laureline and Doc.

I went out and Max Sterling was there, wearing his blue suit with the red waistcoat.

The airlock door opened. A white-haired man in service khakis stepped in, and I recognized him as none other than Admiral Rick Hunter, Supreme Commander of the United Earth Forces.

"Admirals on deck!" yelled Captain Shu Yung. "Welcome aboard the _Bahamut_."

"We have more passengers," said the Supreme Commander.

In walked two more people. One of them was also wearing service khakis, and his rank insginia identified him as a commander. The other was a woman with red hair.

She was that Invid Princess Ariel!

"I know you," she said to me. "You and some others sat with Maia and me at that bar."

"Yes," I said.

"so you know at least one of the people that are accompanying us," said Admiral Hunter.

Sterling introduced us.

"This is the Invid princess Ariel," said Hunter. "This is Commander Scott Bernard."

"allow me to tell you three what this mission is," said Sterling. "We had managed to get a lead ion the world where the Invid are hiding. Admiral Hunter is leading a diplomatic mission to forge an alliance with the Invid."

We all paused to process what Max Sterling had just said.

"Aside from Princess Ariel and Commander Bernard, you will be part of this diplomatic mission. As I understand, you befriended an Invid prince called Itzak."

"Allow me to explain further," said Hunter. "Right now, the SDF-3 and a flotilla of battle cruisers and scout ships are here. The Invid world is just four parsecs away. The _Bahamut_ is a civilian ship, which is why it will go to the planet, alone. We do not want to reiginite a shooting war with the Invid Regency. If the _Bahamut_ comes under attack, it will refold back towards the SDF-3-and we will have to fight this war without any help from the Regency."

"We understand," I replied.

"We'll show you three to the staterooms," said Captain Shu.

I went back to my stateroom. I was wishing I was the First Officer, or at least First Engineer. I noted as the shiop folded into hyperspace, beginning the equivalent of a one parsec journey.

I wondered what would happen. Maybe Supreme Command was wrong, and no one was home.

Or maybe the Invid would attack us anyway.  
It was not long before the ship defolded.

My heart was racing.

How would the Invid react?

They hid themselves for two months. They helped out, but we had no contact with them aside for Itzak's ship.

Or what of the other Sentinels allies? Would they attack the Invid? There was still so much hatred and bitterness left over from the brutal wars they had. Surely the U.N. informed the Sentinels of this plan. But they might try to wipe out the Invid.

I picked up a phone.

"Good news," said the bridge. "the Invid have decided to not fire on are approaching the planet under escort. ETA two hours."

No doubt Max Sterling was speaking with Admiral Hunter.

"Here we go," said Laureline.

I wondered if Itzak somehow communicated the location of the Invid world to the United Nations.

It did not seem too long before we were informed we were in orbit.

It was time.

How would negotiations be conducted.

By radio?

Would we go down there in person. The _Bahamut_ had transport shuttles on board.

It turned out we had to go down there.

The Invid told us our party would be treating with the Regess herself!

We were going somewhere warm, close to ninety, so I wore a white sleeveless blouse and a black skirt, and Laureline wore a similar outfit, except green. Doc wore a white collared shirt, red necktie, and black slacks. Max Sterling wore a white collared shirt, blue necktie, and blue slacks. Ariel wore a sleeveless dress, while Admiral Hunter and Commander Bernard wore class "C" dress uniforms with a short white sleeve shirt, ribbons pinned to the left side of the chest, white trousers, and black dress shoes. Bernard helped Doc tighten his necktie.

"Thank you," said Doc.

We all sat down on the transport shuttle and we took off from the _Bahamut's_ landing bay.

"We will not have any contact with the flotilla while we are down there," said Admiral Hunter.

So many thoughts swirled as our shuttle descended.

Surely the Regess did not invite us down there just to kill us.

But I somehow knew that if it happened, there would be no counterattack.

We in this shuttle had to put ourselves entirely at the mercy of the Regency, to show good faith.

That was why there was no Space Marine escort with us.

I was nervous, and I was sweating through my blouse.

It seemed too short that the pilot announced that we were making a landing.

"Air outside is safe," said someone over the intercom.

I stepped out. I looked art the landscape,. It was bare, like a desert.

A light appeared on the ground, and I saw Itzak.

"Can all Invid do that?" asked Max Sterling.

"Only the royal ones, sir," replied Commander Bernard.

And then there was a pillar of light.

A bald humanoid figure with pale skin and a red robe.

I had last saw her in the core of Reflex Point.

She was the Invid Regess.

"Who has come to treat with me in my domain?" she said.

Admiral Hunter stepped up. "Admiral Rick Hunter," he said. "United Nations Spacy, Supreme Commander of the United Earth Forces, has come to treat with your Grace on behalf of the United Nations and all humanity."

"What do you propose?"

"Your Grace, I ask on behalf of the United Nations for an alliance between us and the Invid Regency against Haydon IV, whom you call the Children of the Shadow."

"Mother," said Ariel, "to secure peace, we must decisively defeat the Haydonites."

"We have not that much time to build our defenses here," said the Regess.

"Even hit-and-run raids could help," said Hunter. "We know your history of doing that with the Robotech Masters."

"And that was what we were limited to, until the Zentraedi were defeated over Earth."

"We have but one protoculture matrix, and the Flower of Life grows on Earth. We can supply you with Flowers in exchange for protoculture."

"A similar arrangement I had with many human lords on Earth."

"My Lady Mother," said Itzak, "this could have been done back then, just trading protoculture for the flower."

"And humanity would have a near-monopoly on our food source. We would have been to them what the Zentraedi were to the Robotech Masters"

There was no way humanity would let the Invid have even an island on Earth.

And yet, she had a point. And I have had encounters with too many humans that would have done just that.

"Then perhaps I should introduce you to the rest of our entourage," said Admiral Hunter. "you have met Commander Scott Bernard- he led a resistance group that included Princess Ariel."

The Supreme Commander then introduced me, Laureline, and Doc.

"I was with them for a year and a half," said Itzak.

"We were enemies, yes," said Hunter. "But the Zentraedi were our enemies once, and we made peace with almost all of them. And you must know, your Grace, that the Zentraedi have a seat on our Plenipotentiary Council. The Zentraedi Nation has been a member of the United Nations for twenty-two years!"

"Surely you are not inviting the Regency to join the United Nations," said the Regess.

"We have no such invitation at this time."

"It is ironic. The Invid Fleet, at its height, could have easily crushed the Haydonites, as was your fleet at its height. And the Masters had such a stranglehold on the galaxy, that Haydon IV dared not even consider war with them."

I nodded. I was no history expert, but the Masters was the most powerful civilization of any civilization in the Milky Way Galaxy within the past ten thousand years.

"I want to hear from the others before I make this decision," she continued.

"I was exposed to the spores, and they gave me some of your memories," I said. "I know how you fell in love with the Invid who would be Regent. I know how you came to regret that. I know how you felt when the Zentraedi attacked. I also have memories of one of your ancestors. It was so sad when she saw her homeworld destroyed by the Haydonites.

"I also spent over a year with your son, Itzak. I stood by his side, like a sister."

"As did I," said Laureline.

"He is one of us as much as he is an Invid," said Doc.

"I accept a truce," said the Regess. "I will trade you protoculture for the Flowers of Life and setting up a data link with the United Nations. The Invid will need more interstellar ships. Ariel shall command the Invid forces attached to this alliance, due to her experiences with humans. Itzak, having lived as a human his whole life, shall accompany her as well.

"As for your Sentinel allies, some of them still wish to wage war on the Regency. We will not expect the United Nations to come to our aid if they attack us, but neither shall you come to their aid if we attack them."

"Understood," said Admiral Hunter. "I will communicate this with the Council."

"Cease fire will be in effect for two rotations of the planet Earth. If there is no agreement, then there can be no guarantee of peace."

"So let us head back up," said Hunter.

Itzak approached us. "I can get you there faster," he said.

I was surrounded by light, and then I noticed metal bulkheads and decks.

We were back on the _Bahamut_.

"Convenient," said Laureline.

"It's tiring though," replied Itzak.

"Going faster takes more energy," I replied.

I went to sleep in my stateroom.

I was still asleep when the _Bahamut_ folded towards the flotilla.

Oooooooo

I was awakened by an announcement.

"We are docking at Space Station Harmony for refueling," said a voice, probably coming from the bridge.

It did not surprise me. We had to travel such a far distance, so fast, in order to be able to meet with the Invid Regess. We would need more protoculture if we wanted to make it to Planet Glorie by next year, let alone tomorrow.

No doubt Admiral Hunter was en route to Tirol to meet with the Plenipotentiary Council behind closed doors. There was nothing further I could do regarding that.

After maybe an hour, I heard an announcement that we docked in one of the docking bays.

I had been to Space Station Harmony before, on my second training cruise. It was a space habitat with all sorts of ship repair facilities. The U.N. Spacy had a shipyard here and a supply depot. I remembered hearing that the space station was built from a wrecked space habitat of the Robotech Masters.

"I wonder what we'll do after we get back to Glorie," I said, sitting in my stateroom.

"We have work to do," replied Laureline. "The company will assign us to ships, hopefully just to tender supplies."

"We could be attacked just for tendering supplies," said Doc. "The Haydonites will surely attack shipping vessels."

"And Shadow devices would be all but useless." I had heard of people becoming wealthy due to being able to capture Invid ships using the shadow devices to sneak up on them even in heavily defended space. No such tricks would work here and now.

Then there were red lights flashing and sirens blaring.

"Red alert," said Captain Shu. "This is not a drill. Space Station Harmony is under attack."

Was this a Haydonite raid?

Or something bigger?

The space station could fold of course, and would fold if the defense flotilla could not repel the attack.

The _Bahamut_ was as safe where it was as anywhere.

A telephone rang.

"Yes?" I asked.

"We could provide you with a video feed from the space station."

I turned on the television and changed the channel. I saw an image of a space battle.

That was definitely the battle outside Space Station harmony. And judging from the number of ship, this was no simple space raid.

This was a major battle. I noticed fighters flying about in between the larger _Garfish_ -class cruisers and _Ikazuchi_ -class carriers. I could see explosions.

I waited intensely. The loss of the defense fleet would hurt.

And there was no guarantee that the space station could fold to safety.

"I wish I could be out there in an Alpha," said Laureline.

And then there were more flashes.

Those were defolds.

Were they U.N. reinforcements?

Or Haydonite reinforcements?

I recognized those ships.

Those were Invid ships!

I saw them tear right into the Haydonite ships.

They must have been caught by surprise.

Four of the enemy ships must have been obliterated.

Fortunately, none of the U.N. ships were attacking the Invid. I noticed Invid mecha swarming around; I guessed a few of them must have been the veritech Overlords.

And then the battle ceased.

It was not long before the red alert was cancelled.

"We have resumed refueling operations," said the captain.

And so we did. I made sure to make the most out of my stateroom. Internet was not available, although I was able to play some video games.

Eventually, though, I heard the announcement that we were to leave the dock to go back to Planet Glorie.

Soon we folded into hyperspace.

Oooooooo

Of course, it was not long before news of the battle at Space Station Harmony was made public. There was a link to those UEF personnel lost in the battle.

The Chairman of the United Nations Plenipotentiary Council made an announcement. He stood behind the podium, wearing a three-piece suit. A caption identified that he was at Space Station Harmony.

"I am here to announce that the United Nations has formed an alliance with the Invid Regency against Haydon IV," said the Chairman. "They have the capacity to produce protoculture, and we have the capacity to build fleets of ships. One of the Invid princesses has command over the Invid forces assigned to this alliance. General Gunther Reinhardt, the commander of the Robotech Expeditionary Forces Command, shall also have command over the U.N. forces assigned to this alliance.

"The Regency had in fact sent reinforcements to help us repel the Haydonite attack on Space Station Harmony."

I heard gasps from the press.

"As for our old Sentinels allies," continued the Chairman, "we are pledging neutrality with respect to any hostilities they have with the Invid. We still extend our hand of friendship to them, in gratitude for what they did for us in helping evacuate Earth thirteen years ago, as well as its liberation just three months ago. But we must take down Haydon IV, destroy its ability to wage war."

This was it.

No doubt all of the talking heads on the news channels and web sites would be discussing this alliance with those that were our enemies just three months ago.

And it would affect me.

I did not have all that much time to relax on Planet Glorie.

For I got a message from my company.

It was privateering time again.


	57. Family Help

I was told that privateering is mostly routine work. It could take days before locating a vulnerable ship or probe.

Maritime privateers of old certainly did not attack ships as they were close to heavily defended ports; the captain, officers, and crew wanted to come home alive with wealth, not become fish food.

We knew where the major Haydonite shipyards and supply depots were. But to raid them would put a violent end to my career as a privateer.

I was not suicidal now.

But then we had a signal from the flotilla's commodore.

There was a scout patrol, no doubt a Haydonite patrol.

Perfect for our flotilla to ambush.

I went to the bridge.

"Captain on deck!" yelled the Second Officer, Fred Sommers.

That was me.

For I was the captain of the _Tiger Shark_.

To have made captain in just a little over two years after being hired as a third assistant engineer. But then not many third assistant engineers survived a journey across Earth. The Shark was not that large- a ship this size would be commanded by a Spacy lieutenant commander- but it was fast, and it could pack a punch.

 _Thor's Hammer_ to all ships," said the commodore. "Link up with the E.V.E. for a space fold."

"Do it," I said.

"E.V.E. linked up," said a scalie who was a crewman sitting at a bridge console.

"Getting coordinates," said another crewman.

"Synchronized fold in ten seconds," said the commodore, speaking from the _Hammer_.

I waited for the countdown.

Ten

Nine

Eight

Seven

Six

Five

Four

Three

Two

One

And then we folded into hyperspace.

"Hyperspace fold confirmed," I heard.

"Backup bridge online," said my first officer, Fujimori Mai.

That was very important, as the backup bridge would allow the ship to operate in case the Haydonites take out the main bridge.

"You nervous, Sommers?" I asked.

"a little bit, ma'am," he replied.

Sommers was actually a midshipman who was two years behind me. I trained him during his plebe year at the Academy. Like the other plebes under my charge during my 2nd class year, I accepted nothing less than the best.

And that, among other factors, was why he made midshipman first lieutenant; I had only been a midshipman second lieutenant my 1st class year.

"Prepare for defold in three seconds."

And then we were back in normal space.

"There are three enemy scout ships," said a crewman watching the radar screen.

"the other ships are confirming that they are the enemy," I said.

"All guns ready," I said, speaking into an intercom.

"Fire on my mark," said the commodore.

"Ready," I said.

"Fire,"

I relayed the order to the ship's gunners.

And they fired.

The Haydonite ships returned fire. We took a few glancing blows, but nio major damage. These raiding ships would be not be suited for raiding if they could not take a hit.

We had to get closer and closer to the enemy ships.

The nav system was preprogrammed by the E.V.E. to create a fold bubble.

"Okay, Raiding Party, let's reel them in!" yelled the commodore.

And we did. The navigator called out the _Shark's_ distance.

"We're closing in," she said.

And we did.

"As soon as we get the signal, we fold," I said.

We closed in on the Haydonite vessels.

Lights appeared on the screen.

Lights filled the bridge, somehow permeating us.

And we folded into hyperspace.

Some of the ships were trying to leave the fold bubble, to get back to normal space.

We then defolded.

"We have confirmed," said Second Mate Sommers, looking at a console screen. "we are two thousand klicks from Space Station Harmony.

I did not have to be told that the station's defense fleet was backing us up.

"The Haydonite ships surrendered," said a crewman.

"Excellent job," said the commodore. "Head back to the hangar for repairs."

And so we did, making contact with Space Station Harmony's Orbital Traffic Control. Our navigator guided the _Tiger Shark_ to a trajectory about two hundred klicks parallel to the space station's current trajectory.

It was about maybe another hour before we had clearance to dock. Our helmsman carefully navigated the ship using the Vernier thrusters, until we were inside the Trans Galactic space hangar.

I left the bridge and returned to my little, closet-sized office. While much of the crew went on break, I had to handle all sorts of paperwork from our raiding expedition. We did have Internet access, so I was able to send quick messages to my family, and did a quick check on Gabe's family, who had their own web pages. There was some news of course, with news reports being harvested on Earth, in various places like Egypt and Afghanistan and Ontario. I then focused on my reports.

Of course, even us captains had to have our own shore leave. And so we did, at this bar and grill downtown Space Station Harmony, about a ten minute car ride from the Trans Galactic terminal. It was this huge place, with plenty of televisions, varnished wooden floors and chairs. There were many people here, including a few humans in Class "A" military uniforms. The menu had a wide selection of foods. We shared pitchers of red ale.

"A toast to the privateer," said the commodore. "we raised our glasses."

"And to all the paperwork we have to do after each raid," said one of the captains, a blond-haired man.

We all had a good laugh.

"I must say it was more exciting than just grabbing a hyperspatial comm relay," I said.

"And more rewarding too," said this lady with tightly-curled black hair.

"Well, I'm just glad for the extra reward," said another captain. "I can finally pay my credit card bill in full."

We had more laughs. A lot of people were spendthrift these days, not knowing when they will lose their lives in the next Haydonite attack.

We all spoke. Many of the other captains were interested in my experiences on Earth. I knew that Trans Galactic freighters were transporting harvests of the Flower of Life from Earth to the Invid Regency throne world of Draxus.

I did not mention Gabe, not this time.

"So you flew against an Invid princess in a one-on-one duel during Reflex Point," said the commodore.

"I had to keep her focus on me, so she would not attack the rest of the Resistance forces," I answered. "I took her down and she was takern into custody."

"I wonder where she is now," said another captain.

"I don't know. I guess she's awaiting trial."

We all had our food and drinks, but then it was time to go.

But not back to the _Tiger Shark_ to catch up on paperwork.

OOOOOOOOOO

"In our travels across Earth," said Laureline, sitting at a bar with this granite countertop with video poker machines built into them. "I never seen a place like this."

Laureline, Doc, and I were this nearby casino, located on this pedestrian block. Legalized gambling was one of the things that drew crowds from so many places across the galaxy.

It was a huge place, with all sorts of slot machines of various types. There were table games like blackjacks and roulette and _pai gow_ poker. Cocktail waitresses showing much cleavage walked around with trays topped with drinks. There were all sorts of restaurants from a buffet to a casual café to various ethnic specialty places to a five-star steakhouse. There were plenty of people here; I guessed that the destruction of Space Station Liberty increased business.

"I visited a place like this fifteen years ago," said Doc, "when I was on leave in America on Planet Earth. I went with Gupta and some of the others in my Special Forces group. Lost half a year's pay, but it was much fun."

"My dad mentioned a place like this when he was on board the _Macross_ ," I said. "Even told me it was bombed once."

"By an enemy attack?" asked Laureline.

"Sort of. It wasn't the Zentraedi. One of the people who ended up on board the ship, blew himself up."

"I wonder why," said Doc.

I took a sip of a complimentary cocktail. "it was from one of those conflicts from before that Robotech ship crashed, so I've heard."

"People from Earth have been fighting those conflicts during my lifetime," said Laureline.

"We can worry about that later," said Doc. "This is time for entertainment."

He was right. I could not let the administrative tasks of captaincy, let alone this war, consume the whole of my attention. I mean, the admiral, despite running a company that did about a trillion dollars in business, still managed to find time to reconnect with his long-lost son.

I wanted to enjoy the bright lights and the games and the live music playing in the lounges. Soon enough, Laureline was at one of the slot machines, pulling on the handles.

"So I pull the handle to make the reels spin and the machine to make noises," she said. "What is the point?"

I heard this old lay shout; she was sitting at another slot machine.

"That could be the point," I replied.

"If that happened too often, this casino place would close."

"So true," said Doc.

The fact that I would have to oversee repairs on my ship seemed so distant as we played several table games and listened to the live music at the lounge. It was a welcome release from the rest of our lives.

But soon we would have to get back to work.

Oooooooo

Life settled into a routine after the _Tiger Shark_ was restocked and fully repaired. There were more deployments aboard with the raiding party, looking for more vulnerable Haydonite ships.

Of course, our business was heavily tied in with the war. There were news of Haydonite space depots being destroyed or captured, almost always by combined U.N.-Invid fleets. The _Tiger Shark_ and the other ships would share intel with Expeditionary Fleet Command.

Over the weeks, I noticed that there were fewer and fewer opportunities to raid Haydonite ships. It was becoming clear that the Haydonites were in retreat. Both us and the Invid were expanding our fleets, and our old allies in the Sentinels were building ships for the U.N. as well as providing supplies.

What this meant, aside from a renewed sense of hope, were fewer deployments of privateering flotillas. Deploying privateering ships cost money, and the company could not make a profit if there were not enough vulnerable Haydonite ships on the defensive.

There was some shore leave. Aside from catching up with friends and family, there was one significant event.

The United Nations has been able to spare a little bit more resources in reconnecting Earth with the rest of the galaxy, forging diplomatic relations with the various communities on the surface. The goal was to offer membership, and then reforge the United Nations General Assembly.

And Laureline was asked to testify before the Plenipotentiary Council, about what has happened in the Serengeti region of Africa over the past decade.

To testify about the Purifiers.

She would have to bring up all those painful memories by the forefront again.

I looked around the welcoming room of the Council's headquarters on Tirol. It was a large room with a granite floor. Footsteps echoed as people walked across the room. I myself was a bit nervous, and I knew how Laureline was feeling.

A clerk wearing a suit came iout of the Council chamber and summoned Laureline.

"I have your back, girl," I said, putting my hand on her shoulder.

We entered the room, which was shaped like an ellipse. There was a curved wooden desk, around which sat members of the United Nations Plenipotentiary Council, including representatives from the Glorie Comonwealth, the Zentraedi Nation, and the Tirol Republic.

"State your name for the record," said the Chairman.

And so Laureline began her testimony. Feelings from that first time I heard her story cropped up again. She even showed the scars on her forearm spelling her brother Samuel's name. Camera operators made sure to record it.

And then there were more questions from the other council members.

"We thank you," said the Chairman. "You are dismissed."

"You are welcome," replied Laureline.

We both left the Council chamber.

"I did hear your testimony," I heard someone say.

I turned, and saw Lisa Hayes-Hunter, wearing a gray suit and walking with a cane.

"It was important," said Laureline.

"You know, the Founding Father of that regime; he was actually one of my staff officers during the Pioneer Mission," said Hayes. "Rick and I considered him a friend. We even went to his wedding. It's just tragic. Fourteen years ago, Rick and I would have trusted him with our very lives. I wrote the letter recommending him for command of a regiment sent to Earth to reinforce Defense Command against the Masters. That was the last I heard of him, until just a few days ago."

"I guess people change," I said. "Change because of what they choose to do."

Ooooooooo

We did as best we could to go back into a routine of living daily lives, in order to recover from dredging uop those painful memories.

But it was not long afterward that I got a message from Itzak.

And not just some social message asking how I was doing or telling me he was all right.

He was asking us for help.

We were family.


	58. Operation: Daylight

"We are now docked with the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ ," said the pilot of the United Nations Spacy transport. "I repeat, we are now docked with the _Pioneer_."

"Let's go, peeps," I said to doc and Laureline.

We left the transdport's common berthing area and traveled to the cargo airlock. Whuile this ship was sent to pick us up specifically, some cargo was placed on board. Still, the fact that a ship to be dispatched just to pick up the three of us specifically meant that protoculture was far from running out.

We walked through the docking port, and were greeted by an officer in khakis, with two people in blue overalls standing side by side.

"Permission to come aboard?" I asked the officer, who was a first lieutenant.

"Permission granted," replied the officer. "Captain Ramirez told me you were meeting with Admiral Hunter and his stuff."

"Admiral Hunter?" asked Laureline. "The Supreme Commander himself here?"

We were escorted out of the SDF-3's cargo terminal by the officer and some armed guards and into a passenger car- the ship was over a thousand meters long. It was a few minutes before the car pulled over and we were escorted to an elevator. We rode up the elevator, and walked along a corridor, passing many military personnel.

We entered a large room. It had this table with this glass-like surface. Many people in various types of uniform were gathered around this room. I also noticed that android, Janice Em.

"Hello there," she said. "Glad you can join us."

I took another looked at the uniformed people. I recognized one of them as Jack Emerson, now a major general.

"So we meet again," he said. "As you can see, I was promoted and in command of the Expeditionary Force Joint Intelligence."

"Congratulations," said Doc.

I noticed one of the men, wearing service khakis with the rank insignia and ribbons, and with the green hair.

That was Greenhair!

I managed to read the nametag pinned to his khaki shirt.

No.

It could not be.

"Allow me to introduce myself formally," he said. "Captain Steven Michael Sterling, United Nations Ocean Patrol, presently of the Robotech Expeditionary Forces Joint Intelligence Center. This is my first post off Planet Earth."

I introduced myself. "I'm a licensed privateer for Trans Galactic and captain of the _Tiger Shark_. I am the sole survivor of the _Golden Eagle_."

"You three might remember me," said another man, wearing a suit, with brown hair and a brown beard.

That was Mark Landry from the old Robotech Research Center on Earth!

"Nice to see you here," I said.

"I am glad you are okay," he said. "Admiral Hunter should be here; this is very important.."

Soon enough, I saw Itzak walk in, wearing a tunic of some sort. We all waved to him.

"Glad you can make it," he said.

Accompanying him was that Invid princess Ariel, as well as two other men. One was a lavender-haired man in a camouflage shirt.

The other was Admiral Rick Hunter, Supreme Commander of the United Earth forces, wearing service khakis.

The admiral introduced himself.

"I am General Gunther Reinhardt, the commander of the Robotech Expeditionarty Forces Command, and commander of all U.N. forces assigned to this alliance," he said.

"General Reinhardt will explain the strategic situation," said Hunter.

"Yes, sir," replied Reinhardt. An image of the galaxy appeared above the table. "Ever since we formed the alliance with the Invid, the Haydonite forces have been in retreat. We've destroyed so many of the supply and repair bases they had in deep space, and destroyed or captured so many of their ships. They have not made a major offensives against any of our worlds or space stations- just hit-and-run attacks. "

I was glad to have participated in capturing the enemy ships.

"The Haydonites have withdrawn almost all of their forces to around Haydon IV," continued the general. A holographic image of a planet appeared, surrounded by red dots. "If I may explain the tactical situation, Admiral?"

"Go ahead," replied the admiral.

"The Haydonites have two fleets in layers around Haydon IV. As you can see, the fleets are arranged like spiked balls. We already have combat ships and mobile repair and resupply ships in clusters around Haydon IV. There have been hit-and-run raids, but the Haydonites dare not risk an all-out assault against our forces in this system at this time, lest it weaken their defense that their home planet is vulnerable to attack. We can take their planet in an all-out assault, but it we estimate half of our ships would be destroyed. That is thousands of ships, millions of lives- human and Invid. And there is a reason we simply can not just wait them out. Princess Ariel, if you will?"

"Yes," she replied. "We have detected ships near Haydon IV folding into hyperspace. They are consistent with construction ships. The Haydonites are rebuilding elsewhere in the galaxy. Our scout ships have been searching, but the galaxy is a big place. If we do not take them down now, they may rebuild enough forces out there to launch new offensives. Her Grace the Regess has already lost too many of her people, and may have to sacrifice even more to put Haydon IV down for good. It will be a long, bloody battle. I can not disagree with General Reinhardt's assessment. But there may be a way to take down the Haydonites without a long, bloody battle. Prince Itzak?"

"Yes," said Itzak. "the Awareness is plugged in to all of the Haydonite ships. Fighting the Haydonite fleet will be fighting the Awareness itself. It can manipulate the fleet like we manipulate our fingers and toes. But we can take advantage of that.

"We can get the E.V.E. to infiltrate the Haydonite ships. If they can be shut down, even for thirty seconds, we can launch an offensive that will eliminate much of the fleet, saving millions of lives."

"That is where I come in," said Landry. "I have worked with the E.V.E. for seventeen years now."

"There is a specialized shuttle with the equipment that will help her hack the Haydonite fleet network."

"There will be a diversionary attack to get both the shuttle and its decoys past the first layer," said Admiral Hunter. "the rest of the fleet will remain in reserve, to make a full frontal assault, whether or not the E.V.E. is successful in disabling the ships."

Itzak's plan had to succeed, or else the loss of life would be catastrophic.

"Why did you ask us here?" I asked.

"I thought you three would want a chance to play a role in the last battle."

"Of course," I said. "I'll be on that ship."

"We're in this together," said Laureline.

"We're family," said Doc.

"Are these three qualified?" asked the Supreme Commander.

"Sir, if I may answer," said Captain Sterling.

"Continue, Captain Sterling."

"Sir, she is one of the bravest people I know. Braver than most of the Bullfrogs I served with."

I still remembered that night. His pointing the carbine at Itzak, after learning he was an Invid. I could remember the fear and rage on his face, no doubt from thirteen years of separation from his family because of the Invid Invasion.

I remembered getting in his way, placing my forehead against the barrel of the carbine.

If the master chief had not talked him out of it, the contents of my head would have been splattered on the ground.

"If you and the Invid have confidence in them, so do I," said Hunter. "Let us begin Operation: Daylight. Everyone, get in full gear. We'll need every chance we can get."

Oooooooo

I sat in the cockpit of a Stonewell Bellcom E-7 electronic warfare plane, along with Laureline, Doc, Mark Landry, and Janice Em. We were all wearing the CVR-3 armor.

"Here are some final adjustments to the networking equipment," said Janice Em, working on an open panel inside the plane. "You know, I was compiled from one of the E.V.E.'s subroutines."

"Oh really," said Mark Landry. "So Eve is like family to you. I've been working with her for seventeen years."

"How did that happen?" asked Doc.

"Well, basically I stumbled on to a plot by the Robotech Masters to steal her memoriy matrix ."

"Must be a long story," said Laureline.

"Some of the comm tech here was adapted from the technology the Invid used to jam hyperspatial signals between Earth and the rest of the galaxy," said Itzak.

"Itzak," said Ariel, "I shall return to the Invid flagship."

"See you later," he replied.

"I hope everyone is in good health," said Doc.

"Feeling nervous?" asked Laureline, sitting in the co-pilot's seat.

"Not really," I said. "I only have millions of lives at stake here." I looked towards the back at everyone else. "Everyone strap yourselves in."

I made one last check of the instruments. Everthing was fine.

I taxied the plane to the flight deck of the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ as a ground traffic controller in a spacesuit guided me with glowing batons. I felt calm and focused. I had to wait for the order to be given.

I hope I did not have to wait too long.

"Air Boss to Messenger Girl," said the air boss. "You are cleared for takeoff."

"Copy," I said. I pushed the throttle and the plane cleared the flight deck, and we were out in the vacuum of space. To the sides were the allied ships, human and Invid. I could see the Haydonite fleet straight ahead. Behind it was a sphere, with most of it in shadow; that was Haydon IV itself.

"This is Gosamu team to Messenger Girl," said a pilot. "we are your escort."

We were able to understand the Invid due to the translation software.

I listened in on the chatter.

"Skull Squadron ready," said Lieutenan t Commander Maia Sterling.

"Knight Squadron ready."

"Orca Squadron ready."

Orca Squadron? That was Commander Yusuf Obegwo.

I kept hearing more and more chatter as we approached closer to the outer Haydonite line- or sphere if people wanted to be more precise.

"Okay," I heard Commander Obegwo say. "Let's do this for Peyton. Let's do this for Hawk. Let's do this for Duke!"

And then the attack began, as the allied ships and fighters and bombers fired on the Haydonite ships.

"We will maintain you ont his present course," said the E.V.E.

"We've got your back, Messenger Girl," said Gosamu Leader.

I looked to the sides and saw the Invid Overlord veritech mecha in fighter mode.

The radar scope showed so many blips. The fast ones were fighters, probably to take out targets that the big guns could not easily target. I heard the battle.

"Got one."

"Watch your six."

'Enemy group coming in at three o'clock!"

"It looks like someone is trying to intercept," I said.

"We have you covered," said one of the Gosamu pilots. I looked ahead and saw one of the Overlords blow up one of the Haydonite fighters.

"I remember what it was like flying those things," said Itzak.

There were many explosions ahead as the two fleets battled each other. There were some more Haydonite fighters that tried to intercept, but our escort blew them away.

"Looks like we are past the outer sphere," said Laureline.

"I'm trying to get a connection with the Hatydonite network," said Janice Em.

"The E.V.E. is taking down the firewalls," said Mark Landry.

If we can manage to shut down the enemy ships before their commanders knew what we were really trying to do.

If the allied fleet does not get word that the E.V.E shurt down the Haydonite fleet, then the only optin is an al-out attack.

I could hear more from the battle.

"He's on me too tight. Arrrrghh!"

"I have no control! I'm gonna crash into that enemy shi-"

Too many have died already in this battle.

I could not let this diversion go to waste.

"I now have a connection," said the E.V.E.

"It should not be too long before Eve pulls the plug on those ships," said Landry.

"She is trying to isolate the Awareness from the fleet."

So there was a battle in cyberspace as well as in orbital space. The inner sphere was being attacked, and there were explosions.

"Those are the Synchro Cannon probes," said Itzak.

"I thought the Haydonites could easily destroy them," said Doc.

"Not before the Cannons do their damage," said Janice Em.

"Looks like we settled into orbit around the planet," I said, looking at the screen.

"Come on," saisd Laureline. "Shut down those enemy ships." Our own planer was surrounded by allied fighters and cruisers. There were more and more explosions.

Our plane then took a glancing blow.

"Gosamu Team, keep messenger Girl covered!" yelled Gosamu Leader.

"too many of them," said another Gosamu pilot. "I-"

UI could see the Invid overlords being blown away. The plane was rocked by another glancing blow.

"Gosamu Leader's down!"

"They're pickling us off one by o-"

I could see our escort disappearing from the screen, as if someone were deleting them.

We knew that if our escort were destroyed, we were next.

This plane's destruction was inevitable. We could only hop[e the E.V.E. is able to get into the Haydonite fleet network and disable the big ships.

"Abandon plane!" I yelled.

We all went to the escape pod in the back. I made sure everyone else- Itzak, Laureline, Doc, Mark Landry, and Janice em made it. The plane was shaken really violently.

I rushed in, pressed the buttons on the control panel, shut the dooer.

I felt ther escape pod being ejected from the E-7. The ejection should have broasdcaST A DISTRESS BEACON. Hopefully, an allied veritech would come and rescue us.

There was no way to hear any explosions from outside. We could not know if the E.V.E. shut down the enemy fleet.

I looked and saw the temperature gauge rise. Was this pod being baked in some sort of heat ray or particle beam?

I could then hear this rumbling sound.

There was no mistake.

We were going down into the atmosphere of Haydon IV.

This was too much like when I had evacuated from the _Golden Eagle_ , over two years ago.

I announced it to the others.

"you can teleport us out, right?" asked doc.

"If I could focus, yes," replied itzak. "No use teleporting back onto an allied vessel if we end up huitting the wall at a thousand kph."

That made sense. To teleport to a moving object, you have to match its speed and trajectory so you do not go splat against a hard surface.

We felt ourselves being pressed against the seat.

The escape pod must have deployed the parachute.

Would the Haydonites shoot us down?

They seemed to have little to no reservations doing so.

We could only wait. Maybe the haydonite fleet was destroyed, with only pieces of spaceships left in orbit. Allied Command couild be broadcasting demands for unconditional surrender right now.

And then I felt a thud.

The pod has landed on the surface of Planet Haydon IV.

I looked at the gauges. It was sixty degrees outside, and the air pressure was seven hundred thirty millimeters of mercury.

There was no way to tell if the air outside was safe to breathe.

"We're stopped," said Laureline.

"I need to have an idea of where the allied ships are," said Itzak. "We don't have spacesuits, so just teleporting us into orbit isn't too good an idea."

"too late to wish we brought spacesuits," said Landry.

I saw a flash of light through the porthole on the escape pod door.

I readied my sidearm.

There was no telling what was outside.

Then something ripped the door off. I was about to raise my sidearm.

And then something grabbed me by the head!

I looked and saw a huge humanoid creature. Its left arm was holding me, and was much larger than its right arm. I looked and saw what appeared to be a human face, with the left side seemingly melting into the right shoulder in a mass of pink tissue.

"Like my new look?" asked the creature.

I took a closer look at the human face, seeing the one eye.

That was the Invid Princess Solzie!


	59. Protocultured Evolution

I felt my neck being stretched as my body's weight, along with the weight of the CVR-3 armor, pulled down on me.

That was the renegade Invid Princess Solzie!

She must have escaped custody.

What was she doing on Haydon IV?

The Haydonites must have broken her out.

"Come out or I crush her head," she said.

I could hear footsteps.

"Don't hurt her," said Itzak.

"Why? Hurting her is fun, your Highness."

I glanced at some Haydonite troops standing nearby.

"Let me show my new toys," said Solzie.

The air around glowed.

And I coukld instantly tell that the princess had teleported us, for I felt that the air was a little colder.

Solzie then threw me on the ground.

I looked up at her, seeing that her body was covered in this strange, webbed tissue. I could see huge blood vessels.

Looking around, I could see we were in a huge elliptical chamber with metal bulkheads, decks, and ceilings. There were more Haydonites inside, all wearing their cloaks, including one which apparently had lots of decorations.

I also saw this huge sphere with the eye.

"Welcome," a voice said. "I am the Awareness of Haydon. You have the privilege to witness the destrucition of your fleets."

"Yes, my Awareness," said one of the Haydonites. "Call me Krok. I am Supreme Commander of the Haydonite Defense Forces. Equal in stature to your own Admiral Hunter."

"And I am an ally of them."

The voice did not come from a Haydonite, but from a woman. She had aquamarine hair and wore a red dress.

She was one of the three women in that dream, from Tirol, who met with the Regent and Regess just maybe thirty years ago.

She looked at us.

"Your plan to use the E.V.E. to shut down the Haydonite fleet will fail," she said. "Do you not know that it was I who helped Lord Zor compile the E.V.E. in the first place?"

"Yes," said the Awareness. "Soon I will be able to shut down the enemy ships. The whole enemy fleet shall be destroyed, and our domination will be inevitable. Those who use the power shall be eliminated from the face of this Universe."

"And once that happens, it will be my duty to order the counterattack," said another Haydonite whose voice sounded familiar."

"You will do well, Veidt," said Krok.

"Yes, sir."

"Veidt!" yelled Janice Em. "You were our ally?"

"I am sworn to uphold the laws and judgments of the Awareness, and to obey the lawful orders of my superiors," he replied. "I was assigned to command Haydon's forces in the Sentinels Alliance in their campaign against the Invid Regency. After the Awareness withdrew from the alliance, I was placed in command of the training forces. I now have been entrusted with command over all defensive combat operations."

"Soon, the enemy fleet will be shut down," said the Awareness.

"We are ready on your signal, my Awareness," said Supreme Commander Krok.

"Do it."

"At once, my Awareness."

I could only watch.

I could only hope that the allied fleet could block the Awareness before it shut down the ships.

"I am beginning to connect," said the Awareness.

" I shall give the signal to attack as soon as our Awareness confirms the shutdown of the enemy fleet," said Veidt.

"What?" asked the Awareness. "Something is blocking me."

"That must be Eve," said Mark Landry.

"Your attempt will fail."

"the fleet will launch an all-out assault anyway," I said. "The E.V.E. just has to stall you."

"What…My functions…"

"You are decompiling, my Awareness," said Krok.

"We have to stop this!" yelled Veidt. "We can not let this happen."

"The Awareness is of no further use to the people of Haydon IV."

"What?" asked Veidt. "We are sworn to uphold the Awareness. The collective minds of the greatest of our people. You took the oath, like I did."

"A collective mind with a superstitious fear of protoculture. A superstition that was holding us back. A superstition that led to our much of our planet being occupied by a power whose life blood was protocolture itself. "

"Krok…you are…a tra-aitor…," stuttered the Awareness

"I have been planning this for years," replied the Supreme Commander. "The Awareness has held our people back. In fact, our Awareness was not aware enough to know that the new ships operated on protoculture."

"Yes," said the lady in red. "Protoculture is the new way, allowing us to create a new order that will last more than ten thousand years. Ten thousand years of peace, prosperity, and harmony. And you, My Awareness, are in the way."

"It was because of protoculture that I evolved," said Solzie. "and I shall continue to evolve."

"Wha..what is happ- happening?" asked the Awareness.

I looked and saw Solzie inflating. She made this inhuman scream. Something was growing out of her back. There was this lump.

I saw the lump open up.

That was a mouth, with sharp teeth.

And then two eyes opened.

Solzie was growing a new head!

Her left hand then sprouted these wicked claws.

Two short arms suddenly freed themselves from her torso.

Green fluid was dripping.

"Power of protoculture," she said, from her new head. "I shall become the new Regess."

"This must stop!" yelled Veidt. "If the Awareness decompiles, how can we shut down the enemy fleet?"

"It was not the Awareness that was going to do it."

"You violated your oath!"

"I did that for the greater good. We as a people must embrace protoculture, not fear it. Did you not want to stand by your old allies, to continue fighting along side them?"

Veidt stayed silent for a while. "Yes," he replied. "It was my greatest desire, to stand by those for whom I would have given my life, for those who would have given their lives for me. But as an officer of the Haydon Defense Forces, I had to set aside what I want, to uphold the laws and judgments of the Awareness.

"And one law of the Awareness prohibits treason. In committing treason, you violated your oath. I should take you into custody to stand trial."

Some other Haydonites surrounded Veidt, aiming sidearms at him.

"You are in no position to do so," said Krok. "We will have a new order. And you shall have no part in it."

"You are merely a game board piece, Veidt," said the lady in red. "So many pieces I played. T.R. Edwards, the Invid Regent, the Disciples of Zor. And you. And the Awareness."

"You can not not stop me!" yelled the Awareness. "Ugh! My mind. Min? Mimimimimimimimi..babubababubabubabubabu…zozozozozozozo….."

The glowing eye in the Sphere shut down.

Then more holographic images appeared.

They were of a teal-haired woman.

That was the avatar of the E.V.E.

"Eve?" asked Landry.

"Hello, Mark," she replied.

"Welcome," said the lady in red.

"Hello there, my lady. I am the E.V.E., compiled by Lord Zor. I carry out his will."

"The E.V.E. is the closest thing I have to a daughter. She is all that is left of Lord Zor. I want to carry out his will to its logical conclusion."

"My lady, I am plugged into all enemy ships."

"What?" asked Doc. "No!"

"Shut them down," said the lady in red.

"Affirmative, my lady," replied the E.V.E. "Shutting down all enemy ships."

"Well done," said Krok. "I would ask my friend Veidt to order the attack, but he seems to be relieved of duty. I shall send the signal myself."

I could not believe what just happened.

The E.V.E. could not have just stabbed us in the back.

Solzie kneeled down to look at me with her new eyes on her new head.

"Your pitiful alliance will die," she said. "Then I will kill your friends, and you, and I shall take over the Regency."

My heart was beating.

I only knew what these people would do to Glorie.

To Tirol.

Krok walked over to some device mounted on a wall. "Yes, this is the Supreme Commander," he said. "What?"

"Sir?" asked one of the Haydonite officers.

"Our ships are being torn apart. We're getting vocal radio transmissions."

"That can not be possible," said the lady in red. "the E.V.E. should have shut down all enemy ships."

"I did shut down all enemy ships," said the E.V.E.

"What? You…you traitor? I helped Lord Zor compile you! This…this can't be happening."

"Thanks, Eve," said Landry.

Suddenly, the chamber shook. The allied fleet has begun attacking the surface.

"You fools," said Solzie.

I saw her make a swipe with her left clawed hand.

The head of that lady in red suddenly fell and rolled on the floor. A fountain of blood spurted from the opening on the top of her neck before the rest of her fell down.

She then launched her massive form at Krok. Grabbing him with her right arm, she smashed him against the floor. I could see this white metal sphere that was Krok, with some sort of fluid dripping out.

"I shall be the Regess!" she yelled.

Solzie was looking at Itzak with both of her heads.

I got between them.

I saw the swipe of her clawed hand, going for my neck.

I managed to duck out of the way.

I then ran out of the chamber.

I was running along this catwalk. I did not know what was below it, but I can hear the echoing of footsteps on the metal floor.

I kept running and running.

There was an open door ahead at the end of the catwalk.

I kept running and running, hearing the footsteps behind me, echoing with the metal.

I was hoping someone would grab a weapon and shoot this evolved princess in the back.

I entered this dimly lit corridor. I barely noticed the pipes and stuff overhead. The place shook again.

I could not worry if a direct hit from the allied fleet would destroy this place, and everything in it.

There was this flash of light, and Solzie appeared, making this inhuman scream.

I looked and saw a corridor branching off to the left. I ran that way.

Then the corridor shook, nearly knocking me off my feet. I heard something drop.

It was some sort of metal thing.

I picked it up.

Solzie then just teleported in front of me.

In instinctively thrust the long, thin metal object forward.

I aimed it at Solzie's original face.

She screamed out in pain, screaming this unearthly scream.

I turned around. I had to get back with the others. I kept running.

She then appeared in front of me. I took a swipe at the princess. She kept dodging my swings.

She vanished.

And then I felt something punch right through me. I looked down, and saw a bony claw protruding out of my chest at a downward angle.

I was beginning to feel the pain.

I felt myself being lifted up, I could see theceiling with the pipes and stuff. I screamed in pain.

And then she started bouncing me up and down.

"Enjoying your new ride?" she asked.

It hurt!

It hurts so much!

She then slammed me against the walls of this corridor.

"You!" she yelled.

She threw me on the ground.

I hurt so much.

I looked and saw Itzak.

She was threatening him.

I felt I was slipping away.

I saw the metal pipe.

I grabbed it, feeling my fist wrapped around it.

Breathing hurt.

I noticed this gaping opening in her back.

I went for the opening.

I kept stabbning into the opening, again and again.

With all of my might, I kept stabbing even as she fell.

I looked and saw Itzak, Laureline, and Doc.

There were even some Haydonites there.

I felt something salty in my mouth.

I wiped my mouth, and there were red streaks on my glove.

My blood.

I coughed again, and more blood spilled out.

Itzak started glowing. I looked and saw Ariel as well, as she started glowing.

I fell.

And kept falling.

And falling.


	60. Grand Armistice

I looked at the screen. My simulagents are out there, taking the form of the people of this planet.

 _I'm the Regess again. When was this?_

If I am to rule this planet, I need to know the customs of the people here. Their history.

What they are like.

Our forces had skirmishes out in space, and the people of this world recently destroyed our Occupation Support fleet around the moon Tirol, the homeworld of the Robotech Masters, the homeworld of the people who took the Flower of Life from us so long ago.

Now the Flower grows here. A fleet surrounds this planet.

There is no point in retaking Tirol. We can keep our space forces supplied with protoculture, and wear down the Sentinels Alliance until their final defeat.

I looked at one of the monitors. One of the people, with black skin, was looking right at one of my simulagents. He wore an outfit likwe that of a warrior.

 _That's Ebrahim Mlama!_

 _That monitor is showing me what Itzak was seeing._

I checked the main computer. It told me that this simulagent was in a continent far from Reflex Point. This person looked as if we were placing a cloak or coat over my simulagent, who was in the form of one of these people, in their young stage. That person was saying something. The computer has yet to be able to translate this person's language.

 _I know he is telling Itzak everything will be all right._

 _This is how they met._

I suddenly started feeling wet.

I then found myself floating in some glass tube. Everything looked greenish.

And I was breathing this fluid, somehow. How was this even possible?

Was I dreaming of being a fish or something.

I heard this noise, and then I felt the liquid level drop. Soon my head was above the surface, and I was breathing air. I felt the liquiod slowly drain.

I was in some sort of room, with people in white coats. There was all sorts of monitoring equipment. Its architencture was alien.

Someone entered, a red-haired woman in a purple and red outfit, with a black cloak.

"Ariel?" I asked.

"You are awake," she said. "You are in the medical bay of the Invid flagship."

"How long was I here?"

"Seven days. You were gravely wounded. Itzak and I had to get you here fast. In order to save your life, we needed to infuse you with protoculture and Invid stem cells. Further medical checkups will be necessary."

"Seven days."

"Your companions visited. Even your family from Planet Glorie visited; Itzak took them on a tour."

Ariel handed me a robe, which I used to cover myself. "I suppose you can arrange transport to take me back home," I said.

"We could," she replied. "Or we could take you to the SDF-3."

"Why would I want to go there?"

"Solzie is dead. The Awareness is offline, perhaps for good. The Haydonites unconditionally surrendered after losing a third of their defense fleet. We are now in orbit around Haydon IV. They will be boarding the SDF-3 to sign the instrument of surrender. I must go there to sign on behalf of the Invid Regency."

"Of course I will go."

She took my hand, and there was a flash. I looked around and saw what looked like an apartment suite, despite the alien aesthetic. Ariel handed me some clothes.

"I am sure you do not want to attend the ceremony in a robe," she said.

"right," I replied.

There was another flash, and Itzak appeared.

"You're all right," he said to me. We embraced.

"I might still have some healing to do," I said. "But how about we go to the ceremony?"

They both held my hand. I was surrounded by light.

"It's just us," said itzak.

I looked and saw my self in some sort of lobby. There was a sign in the back reading "U.N. SPACY POLICE SDF-3 PIONEER". Sure enough, there were Spacy policemen here in full gear.

"Well, your Highnesses, I take it you wish to attend the surrender ceremony," said a police lieutenant.

Oooooooo

We were all on the hangar deck of the SDF-3 _Pioneer_ to witness the ceremony. The Spacy police had driven us here. The people inside the hangar deck were dressed in their best, either in suits or in dress uniforms. Both humans, Invid, and Haydonites were here, and some of our old Sentinels allies were here as witnesses. By my side were Laureline and Doc. Prince Itzak was with Princess Ariel.

I saw the Haydonite delegation. Veidt approached the table, where a piece of paper lay. He wore a cloak with many decorations and patterns and fringes, which appeared to be the Haydonite version of the dress uniform. He signed the paper on behalf of Haydon.

Then Admiral Rick Hunter, Supreme Commander of the United Earth Forces , stepped up. He wore full dress whites, with the cap on his head and all sorts of medals pinned to his white tunic. He then signed the document on behalf of the United Nations.

Ariel then stepped up, wearing her dress, and signed the document on behalf of the Invid Regency.

Photographers took pictures.

Cameramen recorded video.

Veidt and the Haydonite delegation took their leave, along with a copy of the Instrument of Surrender.

There were so many people here. I recognized Lisa Hayes-Hunter. I recognized Max Sterling, in his three piece suit. A green-haired woman in a dress that was his wife, Miriya. And their three children, all in formal dress uniforms with medals.

And, in a far corner, I noticed Command Sergeant Major Walera Gashtar. He was in full dress blues, with all the medals telling the story of his service, including a Medal of Honor hanging from a ribbon around his neck.

He smiled at me.

I could tell he felt at peace.

The grief was still within him, but it was not all-consuming as it was the last time I saw him in person.

Now it was time to go home.

Oooo

"It's here," said Itzak.

"Of course," I said. "We made sure to take it with us when we left Earth. We knew you would come back for it."

Itzak was holding the handlebars of his Suzuki motorcycle. We were inside the garage in my family's farm. I kept the bike here for the past four months. Now Itzak was sitting on the seat again.

"I made sure to repair it," I said.

"Shall we go?" asked doc, sitting on his GR-002 Strike Garland veritech hovercycle.

I sat on my own VR-038 Cyclone veritech motorcycle. Itzak, Laureline, Doc, and I all drove out, going out to the road. We glanced around the faRMS. We reached the village, and took a route going around Santoso Island, taking in all the views.

After half an hour, we reached the docks. After purchasing tickets and waiting for maybe twenty minutes, we boarded the hover ferry.

"There are much more wide open roads on the mainland," I said. "Riding the open road helped me find peace years ago."

I briefly reflected on what I learned. There had been many celebrations across the galaxy when the surrender of the Haydonites was announced, even before the formal ceremony on board the SDF-3. I had heard that the Seafood on the Bay restaurant was packed. There were major parties in all of the coastal towns and cities on the mainland. I saw videos of celebrations on Earth, including a parade in the American military base called West Point.

Soon enough, the hover ferry reached the docks at Heelshire. We all got on our bikes and drove along a highway that took us out of the city. On both sides we were surrounded by farmland, much of it owned by the original colonists who settled here twenty-six years ago.

We just felt the breeze, enjoyed the scenery. There were only a few clouds in the sky.

This was peace.

Ooooooo

It was soon time for me to get back to work as captain of the _Tiger Shark_. There was no more privateering anymore, no more hunting of any ships- neither Invid nor Haydonite. We were transporting goods and sometimes passengers.

Among the things we transported was equipment to connect the Invid Regency to the wider galaxy. The Invid would now be able to access Internet servers all over the galaxy, and people all over the galaxy will be able to access the Invid's own computer servers, or at least some of them. The Regess herself admitted that the Regent could have extended a hand of friendship to the former tributaries of the Robotech Masters as the Masters' Empire was falling apart. There would have been no need for a Sentinels Alliance, no need for the invasion of Earth.

Of course, there were too many variables to predict what would have happened sideways in time.

The Invid would have access to our culture, and we wouldn have access to their culture.

Anyway, I felt better engaging in trade than engaging in war.

oooooooo

I did have Christmas with my family, the first Christmas in over two years. The decorations were styled after winter. I knew enough that this was so because Christmas fell during the winter in Earth's Northern Hemisphere. I also read that it would take about seventy years before Christmas occurred during a Winter Solstice on the island. Christmas this year happened during the summer.

We were all there, along with Mom and Dad and Chelsea and Leon and Kelly and Liam. Mom cooked the deep friend turkey- always a classic. I had not had deep fried turkey in a longtime. Neither did Itzak, Laureline, or Doc.

Then of course there was the gift exchange. I got Kelly and Liam some toys

Itxak opened his gift from me.

It was a new set of tools and parts.

"Thank you," he said. "I learned a lot about fixing things. Now I can fix the bike."

So we continued. I saw Kelly enjoying her new toy, and Chelsea held Liam as he was sleeping.

The celebration continued well into the night.

Oooooooooo

Lauereline and I celebrated New Year's at this club in Space Station Harmony. It was certainly packed. There had been interstellar war for decades. Now the fighting was over. Many of the people in the club were in the United Earth Forces uniforms of their respective service.

I briefly remembered the year. There was so much sadness and grief, and yet I was able to find joy.

We counted down.

"Happy New Year," we all said before gulping down the champagne.

Oooooooo

New Year's Day was a momentous occasion. The General Assembly would convene for the first time. The nations of Earth have sent delegates.

On January 1st, 0900, the first session of the United Nations General Assembly in over fourteen years began. Some guy named Agrama was appointed Secretary General. The very first act was to reaffirm the acts of the Plenipotentiary Council, and that all laws and judgments shall stay valid unless repealed by the Assembly, or under procedures prescribed by the Assembly. Several diplomats from the worlds of the old Sentinels Alliance was there, as well as Prince Itzak himself, representing the Invid Regency.

Over the next few weeks, during my off-time from my job as captain of the Tiger Shark, I did hear news.

Prince Hadid of Egypt was the delegate to the General Assembly, with his former tutor Tariq serving as his chief of staff.

Rebekah Avital retired from the Israeli Defense Force. She received retirement pay both from Israel and the United Nations.

Tokyo was being rebuilt. Japanese Empress Reiko dedicated the Tokyo seaport when it was opened for business. Mark Landry, Daryl Embry, Stacy Embry, and Vic Yahagi witnessed this, along with many members of the Japanese Diet, and many people.

The Golden Dragon Chinese restaurant was still open, still operated by the Lings.

The Purifier regime, which ruled the lands around Lake Victoria and the Serengeti, was denied admission to the United Nations. They were warned that initiating any hostilities against any member state of the United Nations would be considered initiating hostilities against the United Nations itself. The government would not be purchasing Flowers of Life from them.

Commander Obegwo and the pilots of Orca Squadron were doing well.

The E.V.E was still online, accessible from any computer connected to the Internet.

Ooooooooo

I stood on the dock. There were so many people here. This was a special occasion, and I was invited by Itzak.

To one side was the open sea, with many spaceships floating on the water. At the other end was this city. It was the major port city for the Kingdom of Yar-K'Naath, on Planet Glorie. It was fitting that this event would take place here, as Yar-K'Naath was neutral throughout these wars.

There had been no fighting since Veidt communicated the unconditional surrender to the U.N.-Invid Allied Fleet two months before. There was plenty of negotiations for the peace terms behind the scenes. Some of those negotiations lasted until this morning.

A scalie wearing a cloak and a gold crown on his head presided. He was none other than the King-Emperor of Yar-K'Naath. From what I read, the kingdom had only Bronze Age technology thirty years ago. While the scalies here could not build interstellar vessels, they picked up a few tricks, like windmills, balloons, and pedal-powered machinery from machine tools to bicycles to carts to seaships.

Attending this event was Secretary General Agrama, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, black necktie, and black slacks and his entourage, which included Admiral Rick Hunter, wearing a Class "C" dress uniform with its short-sleeved white shirt, shoulderboards, ribbons, and white trousers, and Lisa Hayes-Hunter with a white blouse and gray skirt. The Invid Regess herself was here, towering over the others. Itzak and Ariel stood at her side, wearing the most formal clothing possible in this warm weather. Representatives of the member worlds of the Sentinels Alliance was here. And finally, Vedit and the Haydonite delegation was here.

"You may sign," said the King-Emperor, his voice translated into English by an earpiece I wore.

One by one, they all signed.

The Grand Armistice was signed.

It was on January 20th that it was confirmed that all parties ratified the Armistice.

While the fighting ended over two months before, the Third and Fourth Robotech Wars, as well as the war between the Invid Regency and the Sentinels Alliance, was over.

Oooooo

Here I was, back at Tirol. I looked at the grounds of the Tirol Aerospace Academy. It looked the same, with its buioldings of glass and steel. Midshipmen walked around wearing their class "A" uniforms. Up in the sky was the Planet Fantoma. There were so many memories, of going to class, training, studying in my room and at the library, eating at the mess, hanging out in the Midshipman Union.

"I know you," said a midshipman.

I looked at him. He had black hair, brown skin. His rank insignia identified him as a midshipman lieutenant commander.

"Really?" I asked.

"Well, you were the XO of my company during my plebe year," he said. "I did not talk to you that much, being I was a plebe and you were first class, but I do remember hearing that you disappeared while hunting the Invid, and I remember hearing that you managed to make it back home."

"I see you are a midshipman lieutenant commander. I only made midshipman second lieutenant. What do you plan to be?"

"Graduation's coming soon, so I will be an engineer on board a freighter."

"You are not going into the military?"

"Not even the reserves, ma'am. I have an important exam coming up. Please excuse me."

The midshipman lieutenant commander then walked towards the library.

I was not done on Tirol just yet.

ooooooo

I was wearing that yellow dress.

The yellow dress I wore during my last dance with Gabe.

The yelloe dress I tore in rage and grief.

The dress I sewed back together with a blue thread.

I was at the golf course clubhouse at Joint Forces Air Field Tirol. There were so many people here, wearing their finest. I saw so many people wearing dinner dress blues or dinner dress whites, including old people who were likely retired. They all had medals pinned to their coats. I noticed this lady with four stars and each shoulder and lots of medals, including a Medal of Honor hanging from a silk ribbon around her neck.

"Hi there," I said to Van Nguyen.

"Nice to see you," he replied, wearing dinner dress blues of the successor to the Vietnamese Liberation Force. A single star on each shoulder told me he had been promoted to brigadier general. He had medals both from his service in the VLF and in the UNSM.

I sat at my table. A white-haired man, appearing to be in his seventies, stood at the front to give a speech. He wore dinner dress blues with so many medals covering the left side of his blue coat.

"Good evening," he said to us. "I am General Victor Maistroff, United Nations Space Marines. I was the Supreme Commander of the United Earth forces over twenty years ago. I have been retired since then. Over thirty years ago, I was a colonel and commander of the Space Marine detachment aboard the SDF-1 Macross.

"After a Zentraedi incursion into the ship itself, there were micronized Zentraedi who snuck board to defect to our side. I was, well, displeased about this, since the incursion had killed a third of the Space Marine detachment. They came to us because they fell in love with our culture. After vigorous debate, they were all allowed legal residency. Many of them had decided to fight for humanity, including our guest of honor. He chose to serve in the Space Marines, so I personally delivered the oath of enlistment, just days before that last battle with the Zentraedi armada. I suppose it is fitting that I introduce him to you for his retirement dinner, after which he will be relieved of the oath he took thirty-three years ago.

"I introduce unto you, Command Sergeant Major Walera Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines."

We all clapped as Gabe's dad walked to the table. He was in dinner dress blues, with the Medal of Honor the most distinguishable feature.

"Thank you all for coming," he said. "I emerged from a clone chamber of the Gashtar clone line forty-nine years ago. I immediately served the Zentraedi, fighting in their battles. But then, after fifteen years, three of my compatriots, Konda, Rico, and Bron, told me about culture."

I looked and noticed the Trio sitting at a table, all wearing suits.

"I did not hesitate to be micronized and sneak aboard the ship," Command Sergeant Major Gashtar continued. "I was scared, scared that the micronians might execute me for espionage. When then-Captain Gloval announced to accept all of us, I knew I had to be willing to fight to defend culture. And so I did, enlisting in the Space Marines.

"After returning to Earth, I continued to serve. I met my dear wife, Rosa Vasquez Hernandez. We raised a family even as I continued to serve. We shared joys, and we shared sadness. Now, after a total of forty-nine years of military service- fifteen with the Zentraedi, and thirty-four with the Space Marines, and after ratification of the Grand Armistice, it is time for me to go, to retire, to let the new generation rise up to defend the peace we recently received.

"Our first toast will be to those who could not be here for us, or for anything."

We all raised our glasses.

And so dinner was served. First, there was a salad, which I arte with raspberry vinegraitte, then the main course of prime rib with horseradish sauce and steamed vegetables and bread. Live music was played.

Eventually, I spoke with Gabe's parents.

"I am glad you are here for Gabe," said his dad.

"Nice dress," said his mom.

"It was what I wore the last time I danced with him," I said.

"Good to see you," said Javier Gashtar.

"Nice to see you too," I replied.

I also met their other children, Antonio Gashtar and Koriya Kennedy, nee Gashtar, as well as Tony's wife, Heather, and Kori's husband, Billy. And of course, _their_ children, with David, who was standing on his own two feet, and Olivia, being held by her mom Heather, and Sarah, who was standing on her own feet, with her dad Billy holding her two hands.

And Laureline, Doc, and Itzak spoke to them. Gabe's parents felt they Had as much of a place here as I did.

Not too long after that, the announcer, a man wearing a tuxedo.

"Now I want to introduce to you a special act," he said. "He was a Space Marine. Though he is a civilian now, his songs have brought hope to an occupied Earth, and paved the way, not just for liberation, but for peace.

"I introduce to you Lance Belmont, Major, United Nations Space Marines, and also known as Yellow Dancer.

Then Belmont appeared, wearing dinner dress blues with all sorts of medals, including the Invid.

"Thank you, thank you," he said. "It is an honor for me to be able to sing to you to celebrarte the service of a man who has given so much. Here we go with 'We Will Win' "

 _Life is only what we choose to make it_

 __ _Let's just take it_ _  
_

_Let us be free_ _  
_

_We can find the glory we all dream of_ _  
_

_And with our love, we can win_ __

 _As the battle goes on we feel stronger_ _  
_

_How much longer_ _  
_

_Must this go on?_ _  
_

_Each and every day we dream of winning_ _  
_

_And beginning a new life_ __

 _Still, we must fight or face defeat_ _  
_

_We must stand tall and not retreat_ _  
_

_With our strength we'll find the might_ _  
_

_There's no fight we can't fight together_ _  
_

_All together_ _  
_

_We can win_

 __ _Blessed with strong hearts that beat as one_ _  
_

_Watch us soar_ _  
_

_And with love that conquers all_ _  
_

_We'll win this battle, this last battle_ _  
_

_We will win... We must win..._ _  
_

_We will win... We will win_

There were a few more songs before Yellow Dancer retreated. Many of the guests danced. I told Konda, Rico, and Bron a brief summary of my experiences with Gabe.

Soon, just outside the club house. I saw Command Sergeant Major Gashtar, holding his granddaughter Olivia.

General Maistroff approached him. "I have something for you," he said. He gave the command sergeant major a manila envelope.

"Sir?" asked Gabe's dad.

"Retirement papers. Welcome to civilian life."

I guessed it was fitting that Maistroff would be the one to deliver the retirement papers.

"thank you, sir."

"and I have something else," replied the retired general. "for you son, Gabriel." 

He gave Command Sergeant Major Gashtar a little cardboard box. Rosa Gashtar looked as her husband opened it.

"Medals," said Gabe's dad.

"The Purple Heart, the Second Earth Reclamation Medal, and the Invid Resistance Medal," said Maistroff. "And there's more."

Gabe's dad pulled out a pair of silver bars.

"I am honored to announce that your son, Gabriel Gashtar," said the retired general, "has been posthumously promoted to first lieutenant."

Gabe's dad shared the insignia with Gabe's mom.

Then she gave it to me and I shared it with Itzak, Laureline, and Doc.

"He did more than fight the Invid," said Itzak. "He befriended one of them."

I supposed it would have been too much to ask to promote Gabe to general.

"Have a great evening, Command Sergeant Major," said Maistroff.

"You too, sir," he replied.

Gabe's dad looked at the four of us. "I suppose that since you are all Gabe's friends, you might as well celebrate his new promotion."

"He would like that," said Gabe's mom.

And so we did, at this sports bar and grill not far from the Gashtar family home. We all had the best food and drinks, and Itzak enjoyed the video games there.

We had another toast to Gabe, a toast to First Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar.

Oooooooo

I was not done with Tirol yet. There was one more evening that I would spend with Gabe's family.

Brigadier General Van Nguyen of the Vietnamese Defense Force was there, but in jeans and a sweater instead of a military uniform. He, Itzak, doc, Laureline, and I sat at the table with Gabe's family, over a bowl of steaming pho.

This place felt much more welcoming than the gold club back on base. We all talked, mostly about our current lives, though our experiences on Earth were mentioned, along with Nguyen's and Command Sergeant Major Gashtar's experiences in the Wolf Pack.

"I have an announcement to make," said Kori. "Billy and I are having another baby."

"That's great," said Rosa Gashtar.

"Wonderful," said Heather, patting Kori on her belly.

"I guess I will have to split your share of the wine with Billy," said Tony.

"70-30 is a fair split," replied Billy.

"Congratulations," I said to Kori, hugging her.

We continued to talk even after the last drop of pho was gone.

Eventually, Mrs. Gashtar brought out the family album.

"Showing more pictures?" asked General Nguyen.

"I had some pictures printed out," replied Gabe's mom. She placed pictures. I could see they were from the retirement dinner for Gabe's dad.

"I would like you to place this picture," Rosa Gashtar said to me.

She gave me a photograph.

It was of me and Gabe, with me wearing the yellow dress, and Gabe wearing the dinner dress blues.

It was a picture of our last dance.

"It's an honor," I said.

I placed the picture as Gabe's parents, as Itzak, Doc, and Laureline, as everyone looked.


	61. The New Reign

There was one more thing.

There was another change in my life.

It was March 15th, the first anniversary of Gabe's death.

The fourteenth anniversary of the Invid Invasion.

I was captaining the _Tiger Shark_ for the last time. We reached orbit around Draxus, the Invid Regency throneworld.

First officer Fred Sommers relieved me, to take command of the _Tiger Shark_.

I went to the transport shuttle with the two passengers, Laureline and Doc. We did not discuss much on the way down. I did know that Doc was attending nursing school, and my dad was paying for it. It was a small price to pay for Doc helping to get his little girl home.

We soon landed at a landing pad of Mlama Palace. It was located on an island in an alpine lake, surrounded by tree-carpeted mountains, capped in snow.

The palace was named after the human who raised an Invid as his son.

Ebrahim Mlama was one of the most heroic humans who ever lived.

So many people were here, delegates from many worlds, worlds that had been enemies of the Regency less than a year ago. All were dressed for the best. There were also reporters of various shapes and sizes. Several Invid Overlords in battloid mode stood guard.

I have heard that keeping the peace can be harder than fighting the war.

And this was necessary for peace.

The Grand Armistice did not eliminate all the hatred and resentment against the Invid for nearly thirty years of war.

To keep the peace, this had to be done.

The Invid Regess stood in the courtyard.

Beside her was Itzak Mlama, wearing a red cloak over a black outfit.

A man in a robe places a crown on his head.

Itzak Mlama was now the Invid Regent.

It was fitting.

The Regess represented the wars of old, the Regency's nearly thirty year campaign of conquest, the campaign which devastated the worlds of the old Sentinels Alliance.

Itzak was raised by a human, as a human, from childhood.

Who else could there be?

The now-abdicated Regess would be here to advise him.

As would Laureline and I, for we would be officials in the Invid Royal Court.

Doc would continue his studies to become a registered nurse, but there was no doubt that he would always be welcome within the territory of the Invid Regency.

There was so much music celebrating this coronation.

Gabe would have given his life for this.

No, he would have given a thousand of his lives for this, even if that was all the lives he had.

That was the person he became.

That was why I loved him.

After a few hours, Laureline and I were in a room with Itzak. It was a pleasant looking room, if alien in decoration.

He dismissed the royal guards.

I embraced him.

I knew then

That every little thing

Was going to be all right.


End file.
